Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Dakar Rally iPhone App
Meanwhile in Northern Africa...
I know the Africa Race is in response to the ASO leaving the roots of its founding’s after the 2008 cancellation fiasco. Perhaps the intention by René Metge was to replace the romance many said has become lost in the sheer size of the Dakar Rally and even further so by the move to South America, but it cannot be denied that the ASO brings the profile, which brings the manufacturers and gentlemen racers with deep pockets, which, in turn, attracts the bulk of the competition.
Certainly the Africa Race is not helping itself by staging itself during the same time that the Dakar circus hits Argentina and Chile. With that, the motorbike presence is also curiously low. Seems like 5 entrants this year. Where the Dakar is a cruel mistress lacking any compassion for the dedication and preparation put forth by the competitors, indeed any stumble can render a rider out in an instant, the Africa Race is a bit more relaxed in rulings about continuing from stage to stage. There looks to be a genuine interest by the organizers to get the competitors all the way to Dakar. It is surprising that more are not attracted to that. Especially those that want rally experience in the hopes of tackling the ASO's granddaddy.
From Château de Lastours to Dakar
After administrative and technical checks which will take place at Château de Lastours on next December 27th, the competitors of the third AFRICA ECO RACE® will head for South. From the first stages, in Morocco, pace will be given on surprising and varied terrains. The rest day, January 2nd, will allow the participants to enjoy the magnificent bivouac of Chebeika, at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Then the event will increase little by little in power by approaching Mauritania.
During the rally, the navigation will be a determining parameter to appear in the top of general classification. But as René Metge, Sporting Director, says" By remaining concentrated on the road-book and the capes everything will be OK ! " On the 12 stages of the 2011 edition, competitors will be able to discover all the facets of the African ground: off-piste, fast tracks, vegetation, grassy valleys, and crossing the Sahara sands. The balance between the length and the difficulty of the stages has been respected while the liaisons have been reduced. Many starts and finishes of special stages will take place at the bivouac.
After more than 5.000 km, the rally will traditionally reach the banks of the Lake Rose, on January 9th.
2011 ROUTE
LEG 1 : Wednesday 29th December 2010
NADOR / BORJ BEL FREISSAT
Liaison : 181,70 km - SS1 : 150,28 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 2 : Thursday 30th December 2010
BORJ BEL FREISSAT / EL MDOUARA
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 2 : 318,21 km – Liaison : 142,51 km
LEG 3: Friday 31st December 2010
EL MDOUARA / WAD TISSINT
Liaison : 4,21 km – SS 3 : 416,14 km – Liaison : 50,53 km
LEG 4: Saturday 1st January 2011
WAD TISSINT /CHEBEIKA
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 4 : 341,33 km – Liaison : 290,89 km
LEG 5: Sunday 2nd January 2011
CHEBEIKA / GREID LAREICH
Liaison : 306,91 km
LEG 6: Monday 3rd January 2011
GREID LAREICH / BOULANOUAR
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 5 : 183,33 km – Liaison : 714,74 km
LEG 7 : Tuesday 4th January 2011
BOULANOUAR / GUEL AGANTOUR
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 6 : 371,72 km – Liaison : 20,45 km
LEG 8: Wednesday 5th January 2011
GUELB AGANTOUR / GUELB AGANTOUR
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 7 : 408,06 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 9: Thursday 6th January 2011
GUELB AGANTOUR / TENADI
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 8: 380,66 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 10 : Friday 7th January 2011
TENADI / TENADI
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 9 : 232,41 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 11: Saturday 8th January 2011
TENADI / KEBEMER
Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 10 : 203,36 km – Liaison : 394,26 km
LEG 12 : Sunday 9th January 2011
KEBEMER / DAKAR
Liaison : 131,11km – SS 11 : 23,68 km – Liaison : 41,00 km
Not Yet In Top Shape
It's official, Fretigne out, Zé Helio in.
(Translation by Google)
David Frétigné be due to the injury of the Rally Dakar 2011 omit the Oil Libya and will be replaced at BMW Motorrad Zé Helio.
Zé Helio takes over for David Fretigne at speedbrain
Motorsport Magazin.com - The French professional rally driver David Fretigne, the Dakar 2011 with an injury not the team by BMW Motorrad speedbrain to the start go for. His starting place of the experienced Brazilians Zé Helio. Following promising tests and the successful development of the brain speed BMW 450 RR motorcycle racing with David Frétigné lay great hopes on a strong idea of the French at the Dakar 2011th He was, however, the practice race, the Rally Oil Libya, plunged hard and had injured his back.
Meanwhile, David was again on track to return motorcycle. The long healing process and the lack of training time allow it but, unfortunately, not 100 percent fit to compete in the Dakar. Therefore, there was the joint decision of the team to send Zé Helio him into the race.
Heartbreak
David Frétigné: "The Dakar 2011 starts in a few days, and I hope that my team BMW motorcycle by speedbrain very successful in this new adventure cut I hope the fantastic work is rewarded by the developer and engineers with the expected good results.. My heart of course, hurts with the tremendous training effort that I have done since my accident. I thank you for this the team Presport in Perpignan, and especially Chris Millet and Dr. Christian Fournols and my family and my friends (especially Rodolphe Schwartz) are. Unfortunately, my injury not so much healed, I would be able to top form to take such a long rally. I'm going to the race, which will certainly be an unforgettable adventure to pursue with passion. Especially Frans, with whom I have worked a lot on the bike and tested I personally wish all the best and great success, and I'm sure he will do his best. I will keep training to get back in top shape as quickly as possible. "
Helio Jose Gonçalves Rodrigues Filho from Brazil, is known as "Ze Helio, now occupy the fourth place team. The five-time winner of the Rally dos Sertões in Brazil, after the Dakar is the second longest rally, you know the BMW G 450 RR already, having on it in July denied the Brazil-rally, but unfortunately due to technical defect in the lead all the chances to win had buried.
Great opportunity
Zé Helio: "I am looking forward to this great opportunity, in the Team BMW Motorrad to dispute by speedbrain the Dakar I will make every effort to provide the team with a good result and would like for my retirement at the Rally dos Sertoes the opportunity. use to demonstrate the potential of the bike and my abilities. David, I would like a more speedy recovery and see you soon in an upcoming race. "
On 1 January are thus available for the team by BMW Motorrad speedbrain following pilots at the start of the Dakar 2011:
Frans Verhoeven, Netherlands
Paulo Goncalves, Portugal
Pedro Bianchi Prata, Portugal
Zé Helio, Brazil
Women in Dakar with greater emphasis on Bikes
(Translation by Google)
December 28, 2010
Reuters
SANTIAGO - The participation of women in the Dakar Rally, a competition largely dominated by men, has more merit when it is in the difficult category of motorcycles, "said the Swede Annie Seel, female winner in the field.
In the past Dakar Seel, who holds the record for reaching the end of each race in which she participated, finished in first place in women's category, while in the overall standings finished in 45th place, despite dropping her motorbike in a hole and narrowly escaping it herself as she launched across.
The Swedish raidista said that the stakes are higher for their gender when competing on bikes than in cars, a category in which the German Jutta Kleinschmidt remains today as the only woman to have won the Dakar after her victory in 2001 aboard a Mitsubishi vehicle.
"Racing in cars and a motorcycle is totally different, you cannot compare the two categories. I think women can win in cars, but winning a motorcycle is much more difficult," Seel told Reuters by telephone.
"The motorcycle requires more physically demanding. Everyone can drive a car, even if you're small or not very strong, but on the bike you need muscle and strength," the raidista, who in 2004 achieved a gold medal in women 's 450 cc world championship rally.
Seel was launched in Dakar in 2002. Since then adds 17 shares in competition for the world championship road, with no record of ever leaving a career in which he participated.
"I hope more women can participate in the rally, but need to be strong. I hope you have a South American woman in this race," said 42-year competitor.
In Dakar, 2010, Seel had overcome a hard fall that seriously injured one of her hands and was about to leave her out of competition.
'In the Dakar can never be sure that you will win or finish the race, because it is the kind of competition where anything can happen, "said Seel, who in 2004 emerged as the first" Iron Woman "of history, competition extreme physical demands.
In the past Dakar, while, 187 machines reached the goal of 362 vehicles that started the race.
Team to beat
For the new edition of the event, which runs from 01 January to 16 January for the third consecutive year in Argentina and Chile, Dakar organization reported enrollment of 443 vehicles, of which 13 will be piloted by women in different categories.
Seel said that among the latter are raised as major competitors in the bike category Dutch Mirjam Pol
"Mirjam Pol is a very good driver, very strong, and excellent condition as navigator," said the Rally Princess.
The Swede also said the conditions of Spanish Laia Sanz, who has 10 titles as world champion in trial and will debut in the race accompanied by veteran Jordi Arcarons as his water carrier.
"She has been world champion in trial many times during these recent years has practiced for the Dakar with Jordi Arcarons, who was the coach for Marc Coma and has been six times in the Dakar podium (with four runners-up)," she added.
Webventure
Those in the know will know...
Monday, December 27, 2010
Yamaha Prepares for 2011 Dakar
Monday, 27 December 2010 11:37
The 2011 Dakar rally is drawing closer, and the Yamaha team is hopeful
that they can climb back to the top of the podium. This year's Dakar
will take place in South America for the third consecutive year, and
will start in Buenos Aires on New Year's Day. There will be more than
180 bikes participating in the two week event, which is thought by
many to be the toughest enduro race in the world.
The Yamaha team will be bringing Helder Rodrigues, Spaniard Jordi
Viladoms, France's Olivier Pain and David Barrot to the Dakar rally.
Rodrigues will be a contender for the top spot at the Dakar this year.
Rodrigues recently finished second at the Rally of Morocco, and was
fourth overall at the Dakar last year.
Jordi Viladoms will also be a contender this year. Viladoms had a
great Dakar in 2010. He won a stage and earned an overall position of
7th.
"We have a great bike for the Dakar," Viladoms said. "We made a two
day test in Morocco recently for the engine and suspension and every
time we rode the bike felt better; the team are really motivated!"
Yamaha will have one more racer who finished in the top 10 during the
2010 Dakar. Olivier Pain earned a ninth place finish last year, and
will help Yamaha to stay toward the front of the pack during the 2011
rally.
"We have worked with and developed the WR450F in rallies since 2004,"
explained Alexandre Kowalski, Marketing Director of Yamaha Motor
France. "We have a lot of faith in the light chassis and the
reliability of the four-stroke 450cc WR motor which deals aptly with
the long and difficult races."
Yamaha has a long and successful history in the Dakar. Yamaha has nine
overall victories stretching back to 1979, but hasn't had a rider win
the Dakar since Dakar legend Stephan Peterhansel won his 6th Dakar on
a motorcycle in 1998.
Yamaha has a good shot this year, but they will have to beat out Cyril
Despres and Marc Coma. Coma and Despres have brought KTM the Dakar
rally win for the last five years, extending KTM's win streak to 9.