Daily update page for the 2006 United States Paris-Dakar/KTM-Redbull motorcycle team
as reported by Scott Cox. (Special thanks to Scott Cox, Joe Barker, the photographers and other contributors for these excellent reports.)
Daily update page for the 2006 United States Paris-Dakar/KTM-Redbull motorcycle team
as reported by Scott Cox. (Special thanks to Scott Cox, Joe Barker, the photographers and other contributors for these excellent reports.)
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Saturday, December 31, 2006 - by Scott Cox AMERICAN RIDERS COMPLETE STAGE 1 - Lisbon to Portimao, Portugal Distance 370km - 186km transfer - 83km special test - 101 liaison After their many months of preparation for this event KTM-Red Bull US Dakar Team riders Chris Blais and Andy Grider have successfully completed the opening stage of the 2006 Dakar Rally. ======================================================== This item from www.dakar.com : "The US bikers of the KTM-Red Bull team, Andy Grider (KTM n°23) and Chris Blais (KTM n°9) had to settle with 23rd and 31st positions, over 5¹ slower than the best time of the day. " ======================================================== Days ago Blais and Grider arrived in Lisbon for last minute bike testing, equipment prep, strategy sessions and the all important pre-rally scrutineering (tech inspection) procedure. This was the second go around for Blais and Grider's first experience in a Dakar Rally. THERE'S CHRIS! - As a returning top 10 Dakar veteran, Blais' increased celebrity profile was evident. In the Red Bull Energy Station huge photos of Chris, taken during testing in Tunisia, festooned the area. Images of him also have been regularly appearing on television and in the local Lisbon press. Not bad for a kid from California! The notoriety was a hit with team technicians and management but Blais appeared nonchalant about the whole affair. "I guess it's kinda cool!" He sheepishly admits. The 2005 Dakar 9th overall finisher, Chris Blais, is approaching this 2006 event with a very cool and calm demeanor. "I'm feeling good, I'm happy with the bike, and confident in the abilities of this team. My KTM 660 Rallye is very familiar to me because it's identical to the bike I rode in the last Dakar and trained on all year long back in the USA. I logged about 8000-miles on the bike so as far as it goes, I don't have many concerns. The challenge for all of us this year will boil down to navigation. Our GPS's are much different this year, the road book is very important. Not getting lost will be the key to winning." For more about Chris Blais visit www.chrisblais.com During a call to the U.S., on Thursday, Dakar rookie Andy Grider offered a few thoughts about his first attempt at the Dakar. "I am just going to ride like I know how. It's my race, nothing different. My wife Annie, my daughter Marley and my parents are here to see us off so I'm really looking forward to it." Though a newcomer to rally competition, Grider is a veteran of the US and Baja off-road racing scene with numerous wins and championship to his credit. He finished on the podium in the Tunisia Rally. As an alternate for the KTM-Red Bull US Dakar team Grider trained with the team and competed alongside Blais and Kellon Walch as a KTM rider. Grider was called back to duty after Walch was injured during pre-running with Chris Blais prior to the Score Tecate Baja 1000 in early November. For more information about Andy Grider visit www.griderracing.com BIG SURPRISE - During scrutineering, the team was delightfully surprised when Grider's wife Annie, marched in with a contingent of Umbrella Girls, not the least of which was a fully decked out Umbrella Girl for the Day - Marley Grider, the couples' 8yr old daughter. As one would expect the Umbrella Girls posing with the American team caused quite a commotion, and not only to the delight of Grider and Blais, but particularly for the of the Dakar press corps elbowing their way in for a shot. TEAM MANAGER, JOE BARKER - Managing this years campaign is Salt Lake's Joe Barker who is confident that his riders are very much up to the event. Barker's opinion is that his riders are in very good condition and perfectly poised to make a mark on this 28th running of the Dakar. "Chris and Andy are in excellent condition, physically and mentally, and so far all of our pre-race activities have been awesome. We have a long haul ahead but we are ready for action!" WHAT'S UP DOC? Joining Barker for his 3rd consecutive stint on the Dakar is moto medicine and training specialist, Dr. Jonathan Edwards of Las Vegas. The doctor is himself a very accomplished motocross and rally riding enthusiast and he brings with him a unique ability to know what it takes to keep riders in top shape until the crucial final stages of the Dakar. The team is also fortunate that Dr. Edwards is a fluent French speaker who's ties to the French medical community have paid dividends in prior events. Tomorrow - Stage 2 - Portimao to Malaga
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Sunday, January 1, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Chris Blaise Stage 2 - Photo by DPPi
RIDERS COMPLETE STAGE 2, NOW SET FOR AFRICA - Today's Stage 2: Portimao, Portugal to Malaga, Spain - Total distance 567km - 65 km transfer - 115 km special test - 387 km liaison
Stage 2's longer 567km course featured high-speed off-road terrain filled with picturesque mountain scenery and treacherous obstacles. The day started out with a threat of rain so American teammates Chris Blais #9 and Andy Grider #23 relied heavily on their navigation skills to see them safely to the end of the stage. Careful navigation, both road book and this year’s very scaled back GPS systems, will play a key role as the rally moves from European soil across the Mediterranean Sea and down into Africa. Thankfully, our boys kept their cool throughout today’s stage and managed to successfully arrive without incident.
STAGE 2 results –
1st – Ruben Faria #160 – Total time: 1hr 37min 7sec
14th – Chris Blais #9 – Total time: 1hr 41min 06sec
17th – Andy Grider #23 – Total time: 1hr 41min 41sec
OVERALL result through Stage 2
1st – Isidre Esteve-Pujol #3 – 2:37:24
16th – Grider #23 – 2:44:57
17th – Blais #9 – 2:45:29
TIRE WARS - In preparation for today's undulating and very twisty "Pike's Peak" style course, the team’s decision to equip their pair of very potent KTM 660 Rallye bikes with motocross style tires proved a good one. The technicians worked into the wee hours changing wheels and tires in anticipation of high-speed gravel roads, mud and occasional slick mud sections that appeared more than a few times.
BLAIS GPS WOES – AGAIN! – Throughout yesterday’s stage 1, the GPS system on Blais’ #9 KTM was not working, often leaving him without reliable readings rendering him unable to trust his GPS display at all. Upon learning this at the Stage 1 finish, KTM-Red Bull team manager Joe Barker ordered an overhaul and GPS equipment retrofit. Luckily, backup equipment was sourced and as the final minutes of 2005 ticked away repairs were accomplished successfully. By now, everyone was convinced that Blais wouldn’t have to worry about GPS gremlins again.
Unfortunately, early this New Year’s morning, the new GPS system began to give bad readings once again. One “helpful” French technician was convinced that Blais’ “animal magnetism” was the problem and he’d just have to suffer the consequences! With only minutes before the start of Stage 2, there was reason for great concern! As luck would have it, an angel appeared at Blais’ side. The “angel” was none other than Australian technical wiz Lee Palmer, chief tech for the #2 Marc Coma KTM. In no time at all and with just a few twists of wrench and screwdriver, Palmer instituted a quick fix and Blais was on his way.
By contrast to Blais’ GPS situation, teammate Andy Grider’s day was smooth and uneventful. By now he’s safely aboard the ferry on the cruise to Africa, and with his first two Dakar stages under his belt, this off-road veteran should be dreaming about getting the race going in Nador tomorrow morning.
NO SLEEP FOR MANAGEMENT - Late today, I received a flurry of calls from Joe Barker. Overall, he’s very happy that his riders and team made it unscathed through the opening two stages but his “real” day’s seem to begin when “the boys” have safely completed the day’s ride and he can focus on a long list of “gotta do’s” for tomorrow.
Anyone who’s ever been part of a long off-road race or marathon “raid” rally, such as the Dakar can appreciate that sleep is something that is now on hold until the riders are standing on the podium in Dakar. Each day merges with the next and sleep is something you put on hold until after the event.
“Chris and Andy are all set to head over the water to Africa,” said Barker. “We’ve got the support vehicles staged for the ferry ride across the water to Africa so we’re driving these vans back up from Malaga, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal.” During Barker’s last hours in Europe, he’ll be on the constant prowl for any possible advantages he can – be it equipment or information – that will benefit his team. Talk about team spirit!
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Tomorrow - Stage 3 – Nador to Er Rachidia
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Monday, January 2, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Andy Grider photo by H. Peuker
ANDY GRIDER - 1ST RUNNER UP IN STAGE 3 - Report by Scott Cox - Andy Grider photo by H. Peuker. Thanks also to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com Nador to Er Rachidia, Morocco - Total distance: 672 km - 237 km transfer - 314 km special test - 121 liaison GRIDER SHOWS GRIT - Within a few hours of arriving on African soil Andy Grider mounted his factory #23 Red Bull KTM 660 Rallye bike and made his presence obvious to friend and foe alike. From start to finish, Grider logged a very heads-up ride on the heels of veteran Dakar protagonist, Andy Caldecott #10. Good weather and favorable Baja, Mexico like terrain, Grider finished the long 672 km course behind Caldecott by a mere 3 minutes, 4 seconds. Grider now resides in 8th overall. From www.KTM.com - ³Everything was new for me.² Asserts the debutant of the Red Bull KTM Team. ³Our Manager Joe Barker has trained us in many tests in the American deserts but this land is completely different. Every time you learn something you can feel more and more confident. I enjoyed the stage, and all was under control. I started fast this morning. Rapidly the landscape changed. Suddenly, I felt completely alone in the middle of the desert but I also felt comfortable and I opened the gas. In a few minutes I noticed far over there a cloud of dust. I pushed and then I reached Andy (Caldecott). We rode together until the end of the special test and there we discovered we were ranked first and the second.² - Andy Grider quote on www.dakar.com - ³I felt at home today, the stage looked like the Bajas we ride in the USA, so I was quite at ease. I had no problem of navigation since I only had to follow the riders who started before me. Anyway, I am quite surprised to clock such a good result early in the rally. Actually, I am here to learn. And I am sure the dunes stages will much more difficult for me.² CHRIS BLAIS MAKES NO WAVES - After two troublesome days plagued by problems with a defective GPS system (now repaired!) Chris Blais #9, enjoyed a trouble free day racing through Morocco. The only trouble he'd admit to was allowing too much fuel to be added during one of the scheduled fuel stops. "I was made the mistake of allowing too much fuel to be poured into my KTM which made bike heavier than I would have liked." said Blais, "and I didn't need that much gas. It did nothing but slow me down a little because of the extra weight. Not a big problem but I know I could have gone faster and had a better finish today." Despite being "slowed down" Blais hauled in a very respectable 9th place finish which lands him in 13th overall through day 3. TIP OF THE VISOR TO A PAIR OF AMERICAN DAKAR ROOKIES - Last night, suspension guru and former Red Bull - KTM Dakar team wrench, Bret Leef sent me a reminder about two more American rookie's challenging this year's Dakar: STREET STYLE - Jonah Street #42 (KTM 525 RFS) - 18th Stage 3 - 14th overall - Jonah's hopes of landing a Red Bull-KTM US Dakar team ride during the original 2003 Dakar Rider Search fell a bit short when Chris Blais, Kellon Walch and Andy Grider were selected. Jonah is a very capable rider who thus far has had a pretty good ride aboard a Charlie Rousseau prepped 525 KTM Racing 4-Stroke in his first Dakar Rallye. James Embro #132 (KTM 660 Rallye) - I've had the good fortune to meet James and his family and ride with him a couple of times on Scot Harden's Nevada Rally Experience rides. A Georgia gentleman through and through, James is fast and enthusiastic about off-road racing and everyone who knows him is delighted that he's finally made the big show. James' positive spirit is infectious and if he can just stomach two weeks of navigation (James, remember "leading" us out of Caliente?), you'll see him in Dakar, for sure. Good luck, James! FAST WRENCH - Best wishes also to James' mechanic, Elmer Symmons. This talented South African expatriate (oh yeah, he's a California boy now) Elmer is "enjoying" his 2nd Dakar. Like so many other Dakar Rally techs, drivers and managers, this very talented off-road racer is working tirelessly to make it possible for another guy, James Embro, to reach Dakar safe and sound. Bless you, Elmer! Rankings as of the 3rd stage ‹ Special: 314 km Stage Results: 1. Caldecott (Repsol KTM) 03:21:11h 2. Grider (Red Bull USAKTM) +03:04 3. Despres (Gauloises KTM) +03:06 4. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM) + 03:27 5. Pellicer (KTM) + 04:11 6. Coma (Repsol KTM) + 05:45 7. Amaral (KTM) + 06:28 8. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA)+ 06:46 9. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM) + 06:55 10. Ullevalseter (KTM) + 07:08 11. Gau (Gauloises KTM) + 07:42 12. Fretigne (YAMAHA) + 08:00 13. Duclos (KTM) + 08:27 14. Sala (Repsol KTM) + 08:39 15. Katrinak (KTM) + 08:59 16. Rivera (KTM) + 09:16 17. Casteu (Gauloises KTM) + 09:28 18. Street (KTM) + 09:44 19. Verhoefen (YAMAHA) + 10:22 20. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM) + 11:12 28.Viladoms (Repsol KTM) + 20:47 Overall Results: 1. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 06:03:12h 2. Coma (Repsol KTM), 06:04:28h, + 01:16 6. Pellicer (KTM), 06:04:51h, + 01:39 4. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 06:06:53h, + 03:41, Penalty: 02:00 5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 06:06:53h, + 03:41 6. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 06:08:50h,+ 05:38 7. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 06:09:01h, + 05:49 8. Grider (Red Bull USAKTM), 06:09:12h, + 06:00 9. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 06:09:47h,+ 06:35 10. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), 06:10:33h, + 07:21 11. Duclos (KTM), 06:12:29h, + 09:17 12. Amaral (KTM), 06:13:23h, + 10:11 13. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 06:13:35h, + 10:23 14. Street (KTM), 06:15:01h, + 11:49 15. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 06:15:13, + 12:01 16. Katrinak (KTM), 06:16:23, + 13:11 17. Sala (Repsol KTM) 02:46:56 + 9:32 18. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 06:17:04h, + 13:52 19. Verhoefen (YAMAHA), 06:17:56h, + 14:44, Penalty: 02:00 20. Rivera (KTM), 06:18:17h, + 15:05 24. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 06:44:01h, + 06:37 =========== Tomorrow - Jan 3, 2006 - Stage 4 Er Rachidia to Ouarzazate Total distance: 639 km - 56 km transfer - 386 special test - 197 km liason
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Tuesday, January 3, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Andy Caldecott at bivouac - Photo by P. Batini
STAGE 4 – BLAIS & GRIDER HANG TOUGH IN MOROCCO -
Report by Scott Cox - Caldecott Photo by P. Batini
Thanks also to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com
Er Rachidia to Ouarzazate- Total distance: 639 km - 56 km transfer - 386 km special test - 197 liaison
Stage 4 ran between Er Rachidia, Morocco and Ouarzazate, Morocco and so far had the most terrain changes of the 2006 Rally. Yesterday’s top finishers, The Andys, Caldecott #10 and Grider #23, left at 6:00am – a mixed blessing. On one hand, they would not have to deal with the dust that haunted the rest of the field but going out first also means navigating first on virgin terrain.
“I rode smooth and smart today, only getting messed up on one navigation trap for a short time. I picked up with a couple of other riders, found the course again and got going.” Said Grider. “Things went well until one of my saddle-tank gas lines let loose. There I was, about 100km into the day and well into the special test, when I was forced to stop and repair it.”
Grider managed to dump his tanks and fix the troublesome small plastic fitting but his problems were not quite over.
RESCUE MISSION - “My battery went dead trying to start the bike, so until Chris (Blais #9) showed up to give me a jump start, I went nowhere,” said Grider, “I got going again and rode for another 20km or so until I was completely out of gas. I was stranded again for about an hour and a half. Lucky for me however, one of the Repsol Jr team riders - Viladoms #21 - stopped and gave enough gas to get me to the the next gas stop.”
AFRICA IS BIG & GETTING BIGGGER - While Grider sat waiting for Viladoms’ eventual rescue, he had ample time to ponder just how big Africa is, or at least appeared to be.
“In the states and in Mexico, no matter how remote it seems, there’s always somebody near by, eventually. But here in Morocco I sat out of gas for a long time and never saw or heard anybody. When I mentioned this to Hans Trunkenpolz (KTM Dakar team director) he told me “You haven’t even seen Africa yet – just wait!””
BLAIS TURNS 25 - For the second time in his young life, Red Bull KTM US Dakar rider Chris Blais is celebrating another birthday, his 25th, from the controls of a KTM 660 Rallye machine. After safely arriving in the bivouac this afternoon, Blaise offered this view of the day’s proceedings.
“So far everything has been great. I’m feeling good, I have been riding pretty well and the fact that the top 20 guys are still so bunched up, within 10 minutes or so of each other, makes the race better. Today I had hoped to move up the standings with a good ride but I lost a little more time than I’d planned for. I had to stop to get Andy going again and probably lost about 15-minutes in the process . By the time I got rolling again a pack of 6 slower riders managed to catch up and pass me. This also meant riding in a lot of dust throughout most of the stage.”
Blais also got a taste of just how unforgiving the rocky track was and how even the slightest episodes can have a dramatic affect.
“I didn’t crash my KTM but I did manage to sustain some damage. I completely flattened my right side exhaust and nearly did the same on the left side, too. I also smashed up the skid plate pretty good in one of the gnarly rock sections. I made it to the finish today in 12th, so that’s not too bad. And I am still feeling very good. Even better now that Andy Caldecott has given me a bag of Gummy Worms (candy) to enjoy for my 25th birthday!”
In hindsight, despite the minor problems suffered by Blais and Grider, today’s stage 4 was not as difficult as Dakar Rally director Etienne Lavigne had warned everyone at the briefing last night. He also warned the contingent about today’s first dune crossings of the rally. However, the Merzouga erg were passed by most riders without difficulty.
AUSSIE ANDY CHECKS IN – I had a chance to speak on the phone today with Stage 3 winner, Andy Caldecott #10. Andy’s a late addition to the Repsol Red Bull KTM Junior team and he was called up to replace an injured rider a few weeks ago. This will make his 3rd attempt at Dakar.
“I hadn’t expected to ride the Dakar again this year, so until I got the call 3 weeks ago, I was just carrying on with everyday life back in Australia.” Said Caldecott. “I haven’t trained but so far things have gone pretty well for me. The Repsol Jr team is a good one, the bike is excellent, very similar to the KTM I rode in 2005 and my Spanish mechanic is good. Despite the fact that we can’t speak each other’s language we get along quite fine. I have become good friends with the Americans, Andy and Chris, Joe Barker and the whole team. Andy and I rode together yesterday and really had a good run, finishing in 1st and 2nd place for Stage 3. The factory guys like Coma and Despres are full time paid riders with factory equipment so they have the advantage but we have good equipment and a great team, too.”
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Tomorrow the stage will reach Tan Tan, It will be “simply” the first of an “over 800 km” trio. Exactly 819 kilometers, with the 5th special test of the Dakar, 350 km. No dunes in the special, but two long technical sections. The race will also return to sea level. Look for heat to begin to affect the competitors.
Rankings:
4th stage – Special: 386 km
Stage Results
1. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 04:13:01h
2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 00:28
3. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 05:15
4. Despres (Gauloises KTM), +06:50
5. Casteu (Gauloises KTM) + 15:41
6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), + 17:44
7. Fretigne (YAMAHA), + 18:39
8. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 20:32
9. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 21:33
10. De Azevedo (KTM), + 24:24
11. Faria (KTM), + 24:37
12. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), + 26:20
13. Katrinak (KTM), + 26:25
14. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), + 27:58
15. Amaral (KTM), + 27:59
16. Farres Geull (YAMAHA), +28:22
17. Duclos (KTM), + 28:43
18. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 29:50
19. Verhoeven (YAMAHA), +31:42
20. Pellicer (KTM), + 38:35
25. Grider (Red Bull USAKTM), +01:12:09
59. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 01:35:17
Overall Results:
1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 10:17:57 h
2. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 10:22:48 h, + 04:51
3. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 10:23:03 h, + 05:06
4. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 10:25:09 h, + 07:12
5. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 10:37:32h, + 19:35
6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 10:37:38h, + 19:41, Penalty: 02:00
7. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 10:40:41h, + 22:44
8. Sala (Repsol KTM), 10:50:19h, + 32:22
9. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), 10:51:32h, + 33:35
10. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 10:52:56h, + 34:59
11. Ullevalseter (KTM), 10:53:04 h, + 35:07
12. Duclos (KTM), 10:54:13 h, + 36:16
13. Amaral (KTM), 10:54:23 h, + 36:26
14. Katrinak (KTM), 10:55:49 h, + 37:52
15. Pellicer (KTM), 10:56:27 h, + 38:30
16. De Azevedo (KTM), 10:56:51 h, + 38:54
17. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 10:58:04 h, + 40:07
18. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 10:58:27 h, + 40:30
19. Verhoefen (YAMAHA), 11:02:39 h, + 44:42, Penalty: 02:00
20. Street (KTM), 11:07:42 h, + 49:45
24. Grider (Red Bull USAKTM), 11:34:22h, + 01:16:25
33. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 12:14:17h, + 01:56:20
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Tomorrow - Jan 4, 2006 - Stage 5 – Ouarzazate to Tan Tan
Total distance: 819 km - 187 km transfer - 350 special test - 282 km liaison
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Wednesday, January 4, 2006 - by Scott CoxTan Tan bivouac - Photo by P. Batini
Grider, Barker and Blaise - Photo by P. Batini STAGE 5 - A LONG HAUL FOR AMERICA¹S TEAM Report by Scott Cox - Photos by P. Batini Thanks also to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com Ouarzazate to Tan Tan - Total distance: 819 km - 187 km transfer - 350 km special test - 282 liaison ======================================================= No results for the press, no information and no satellite communications. ³This is Africa, this is the Dakar² - Etienne Lavigne, headmaster of the Dakar Rally. America's Dakar Rally hopefuls, Chris Blais #9 and Andy Grider #23 continued to forge forward on today¹s lengthy 500-mile plus stage across Southern Morocco¹s Adraa Valley. With four days in and nearly one-third of the rally behind them, the Red Bull KTM riders have found their race pace. Today¹s 4am start was anticipated with some remorse by riders and technicians alike. Not only would it deprive them of much needed sleep, it would open the door on a tough, two day marathon. Thursday¹s stage 6 start from Tan Tan begins at the even more ungodly hour of 1am. Service, if available at the end of the stage will be limited at best so preserving bodies and equipment are the order of the day. Thick morning fog and overcast conditions made it impossible for support planes and helicopters to fly. Suffering also is the ability for teams and riders to communicate with the outside world and stateside followers (like me) who have enjoyed daily contact and updates since before the rally. (Apologies for a lack of rider quotes and anecdotes in this report.) Support vehicles and team trucks are today sharing the same track as the competitors, no short cuts and no other way out. No team vehicles will be allowed to begin the journey before the last rider has taken the starter¹s signal in Ouarzazate. ONWARD - There is still a lot of distance to cover and a lot of race to be raced. As the mileage clicks by and the days blend one to the next, second year veteran Blais will have the chance to dig deep into his 2005 Dakar bag of tricks - when the going gets tough and when he recognizes an opportunity for attack. On the other hand, every new Dakar day and every new obstacle is a new learning experience for rally rookie, Grider. Already he¹s suffered reality¹s harsh reprimand but he remains unshaken in his resolve and commitment to excel. As he claimed prior to the start in Portugal, ³I¹ll ride my own race.² And every indication is that this continues to be Grider¹s plan. MEONI REMEMBERED - This item from www.ktm.com - One of the private riders is Italian Fabrizio Mugnaioli, a 44-year-old farmer from Tuscany. We met him near the airplane that transports the metal cases, one for each rider. There the competitors can store everything they want only limited by the volume of the boxes. Normally, a sleeping bag and spare parts. Fabrizio is competing on an old 2001 KTM Rally Replica that the late Fabrizio Meoni gave to him. The motorcycle is conserved as the reminder of a friend and a Champion we will never be able to forget. Rankings: 5th stage ‹ Special: 350 km Stage Results: 1. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 03:47:40h 2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 03:41 3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), + 05:18 4. Faria (KTM), + 08:14 5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 08:21 6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), + 10:54 7. Casteu (Gauloises KTM) + 11:03 8. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 11:06 9. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 11:41 10. Fretigne (YAMAHA), + 13:01 11. Katrinak (KTM), + 16:20 12. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), + 24:17 13. De Azevedo (KTM), + 25:14 14. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 30:07 15. Farres Geull (YAMAHA), + 31:38 16. Grider (Red Bull USAKTM), + 31:57 17. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), + 35:52 18. Street (KTM), + 36:41 19. Czachor (YAMAHA), + 39:16 20. Marchini (KTM), + 44:40 22. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 47:17 Overall Results: 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 14:09:18h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 14:10:43h, + 01:25 3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 14:15:46h, + 06:28 4. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 14:21:10h, + 11:52 6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 14:36:12h, + 26:54, Penalty: 02:00 5. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 14:36:15h, + 26:57 7. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 14:41:22h, + 32:04 8. Sala (Repsol KTM), 14:49:40h, + 40:22 9. Ullevalseter (KTM), 14:51:50 h, + 42:32 10. Katrinak (KTM), 14:59:49 h, + 50:31 11. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 15:04:53h, + 55:35 12. Faria (KTM), 15:08:24h, +59:06, Penalty: 12:00 13. De Azevedo (KTM), 15:09:45h, + 01:00:27 14. Agra Carrera (YAMAHA), 15:15:04 h, + 01:05:46 15. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 15:15:51 h, + 01:06:33 16. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 15:17:45 h, + 01:08:27 17. Street (KTM), 15:32:03 h, + 01:22:45 18. Amaral (KTM), 15:32:21h, + 01:23:03 19. Duclos (KTM), 15:32:35h, + 01:23:17 20. Rivera (KRM), 15:44:47h, +01:35:29 22. Grider (Red Bull USAKTM), 15:53:59h, + 01:44:41 27. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 16:49:14h, + 02:39:56 =========== ================================= Tomorrow - Jan 5, 2006 - Stage 6 Tan Tan to Zouérat Total distance: 792 km - 336 km transfer - 444 special test - 12 km liaison
********************************************************************************************************* REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Thursday, January 5, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Chris Blaise Stage 4 - Photo by P. Batini
Andy Grider Stage 4 - Photo by P. Batini
Tan Tan Bivouac - Photo by P. Batini JANUARY 5, 2006 STAGE 5 ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER...MINE FIELD! Tan Tan to Zouérat Total distance: 792 km - 336 km transfer - 444 special test - 12 km liaison Report by Scott Cox - Photos by P. Batini Thanks to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com . Special thanks also to www.dirtbikemagazine.com <http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com> and www.dualsportnews.com <http://www.dualsportnews.com> and others for sharing these reports hosting them on their fine websites. ==================================================== Today¹s action started early, very early. Riders climbed out of their tents at midnight in order to get lined up for a 1am start and another very long 500-mile day. The day would start out in the Moroccan rocks and rugged trails, across the Mauritanian border, through a minefield, across sand dunes and into the first camel grass sections. Speeds for the most of the day were very high, for some that means wide open. As velocity rose so to did the risk of setting off each vehicle¹s 160km per hour (about 100 mph) alarm, and suffering penalties for it. Organizers have instituted strict limits and harsh 3 strikes punishments for violators. Should the bike-mounted sensor hit the 160 km limit more than twice, a racer could be eliminated from the rally. Satellite communications were good today so we¹ll let Chris Blais #9 and Andy Grider #23 share their side of the story as of Stage 6: ANDY GRIDER - ³We ran for a distance of 150 to 200 km at just under 160 km per hour. Chris and I rode together and our warning blinkers were flashing the entire time. Above 150 and approaching 160 it really lets you know that you¹re about to get pegged.² CHRIS BLAIS - ³I really tried to keep my bike at around 148-150 km but it¹s tough and with the pack Andy and I were riding with, that was tough. It was really fast today.² Stage 6 started with a very long, cold 336 km transfer section, which our riders completed with enough time to take a 1-hour nap before attacking the long 444 km special test. GRIDER - ³We arranged to have a tent at the start of the special so that Chris and I could catch some winks. About an hour was all.² BLAIS - ³With one tent it was pretty tight but it was good to get a little rest prior to such a long special test.² If the high speeds, rocks and camel grass wasn¹t enough to keep riders wide awake, a 5am jaunt through an active mine field did the trick. GRIDER - ³Chris and I rode side by side through that section - it was crazy. It was at the beginning of the special test and there were police vehicles on each side. We had a narrow corridor to ride through. The special was long but I had a good clean ride and the only trouble I had was with my GPS. This year it only shows a pointer when you¹re within 3km of each waypoint but my arrow would not come on for some reason. So I followed my road book carefully to pick my way through.² ²When I got to the refueling stop I discovered that another fuel connector had broken like in Stage 4. I only had 15-minutes to take on fuel and fix the connector so I got to work. Completed the repair with literally 1 minute to spare before the restart. Bad thing is that in order to fix it I had to damage the fuel line and I did not have a hose clamp. I tried to ride carefully for the rest of the stage so I would finish without another breakdown.² Speeds increased throughout the stage, even in the very technical sections of camel grass. GRIDER - ³The first 20-30km of the day were hard rocky roads, twisty. Then we were taped for 200km - at the speed limit the entire time. After the fuel stop we hit a couple of dune sections, which were no problem. I am very happy with my KTM, it¹s set up perfectly for me and really goes well. The camel grass is a pain in the ass, though. Today it wasn't too big the grass was there, not too many big bumps. Made bike = between 70-80km in these sections. Over 100 km through some sections. DESPRES DESPERATE AFTER GETOFF - The big news of the day was that current front-runner, Cyril Despres of the Galoises team had crashed hard and was possibly out with a broken collarbone. GRIDER ON DESPRES - ³I heard about Despres as soon as I got to the finish. The OLN TV guy told me he had crashed. But the medical staff here is awesome and Cyril should have very good care. A crash like that however will take a big physical and mental chunk out of him. He and his team are here to win. But I respect him he¹s a very tough guy to push on.² GRIDER ON SLEEP ³I am trying not to make any mistakes - I am sleeping like a baby and I feel a lot better than I thought I would be. Sleep usually catches up with you a few days afterwards. Fortunately the rest day is only 2 days away.² GRIDER WHEELIN AND DEALIN ³The last 2 days because of fuel problems - I passed 15 riders. Today I started 17th, physically came in 9th, passed 8 riders. Tomorrow we start inverted - so I expect to pass many other riders. I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW Grider is convinced that he brought the best goggles to the rally. ³My Oakley goggles with Iridium lenses are incredible. I am very happy with Œem. No problems with dust and the Iridium lenses somehow kept the moisture flowing off even in the heavy fog we¹ve had to ride through. It¹s like a miracle! My Oakley's were clean and clear and everyone was at a stand still. I was passing guys Œcause I was able to go about 40-mph faster. It was bitchen!² GREAT FOOD ³We had incredible steaks last night - cooked to order. It was great! Tonight was also good - pasta with pork gravy.² THE HARDEST WORKING WRENCHES ON EARTH ³Right now I am looking at my bike. It¹s very good and my mechanic Matt Herbert is doing all the work on it. He and I got together in Tunisia but this is the 1st time we have worked together as a team. Originally I met him at Scot Harden¹s Nevada Rally Experience in 2004. Matt and I get along, we listen to the same types of music. He¹s doing a great job keeping me going especially after days like yesterday when Chris and I really beat these things up. Our wheels were hammered and we had some pretty good ³smiles² in our rims. You couldn't quite see the bib mouse tubes but you could see all the tire beads on the rims. Couldn¹t believe how much those bike were bouncing when we came in!² HATS OFF TO THE PRIVATEERS ³Tonight I visited the privateer bivouac and I feel very spoiled. We have several sets of gear, tires, parts, physical therapists, everything. Those guys? Wow.² GRIDER¹S STAGE 7 STRATEGY - ³I'm running a new prototype sand goggle, the Oakley Crowbar goggle with thicker foam. These aren¹t on the market so I¹m not sure what they¹ll call it. I just call it the Sand Goggle. I will also be using Troy Lee Cold Weather Gloves in the morning along with my KINI gear and Gaerne boots.² GRIDER SHOUT OUTS - Andy would like to give a special SHOUT OUT to DR JONATHAN EDWARDS and PLATINUM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS for keeping him mentally and physically in tune during the rally. GO STREET - Andy also added that Jonah Street is incredible ³20th overall and I am amazed at how he and his 525 KTM are hanging in there. He¹s really good.² ================================================= CHRIS BLAIS BLASTS ³Wow, those last 2 days I can hardly remember yesterday because today was so freakin long! I had a really good time today though - it was fun and very fast. We averaged over 100km per hour today. We had 80km of high-speed camel grass and ran some sections at 100km through this stuff. It was crazy.² ³We were in a pack of 4 riders - I led for a while but I didn¹t want to hold anybody up so I let Andy take the lead and let him hit the big stuff first. Man, he was airing his bike out big time! We all rode together Andy, De Azevedo #7 and #60 Katrinak. It was a good ride.² BLAIS ON DESPRES ³He was trying to make his move today and it didn't work out for him. They say he crashed in the camel grass and that doesn't surprise me.² BLAIS ON 1 AM STARTS What an early ass day, up at midnight - riding before 2am then ultra high-speed can't afford any brain fades. WATCH YOUR SPEED-O: The speedo cap (speed alarm) on Chris' bike - wasn't working so the alarm was intermittent ³that's why Andy caught me toward the beginning. He just held it wide open for 150-200 km. I tried to keep it down below 148 km. At over 160 km the alarm goes off and today a couple of guys had 161 km, 162 km. I need to avoid that.² WHEEL BREAKER ³Yesterday we destroyed a complete set of wheels. It was really rocky and I noticed that my front brake caliper had come loose, but the safety wire kept it in place. Everything¹s getting beat up but we keep going strong.² ON THE BORDER ³The section at the border was lit with burning oil cans so at about 5am - Andy and I rode through this section together. Prior to the start of this section a guy named Georgio was there with a tent that Andy and I shared for an hour and a half. It was tight, but it was good to get more sleep.² FEELINGSŠ ³I am still feeling good but guys will start dropping out tomorrow - the pace up front is very, very fast. Only physical problem is my lower back - the bike¹s big and heavy and it jerks me around in the whoops and camel grass. Doc Edwards has had to work on my back a little but I¹m Ok.² BLAIS GEAR TIPS ³I got new SCOTT goggles with light sensitive lens - clear in the dark and BLUE when things light up. They¹re really good for me because I hate the stress of swapping lenses - I want everything to be good and not have to do a bunch of prep every day. My new SIDI boots "Crossfires" are really nice, they¹re the latest things out there. I like them much better than the Alpinestars I used to ride in. Last year they were almost worn out by half way.² HAPPY FEET ³Joe Barker talked me into wearing a wool ski boot sock. I AM SO HAPPY! I use Dr Scholls liners and my feet have been VERY GOOD. I don't have to smell them in my tent anymore.² TOP WRENCH - MATT SPENCER Matt¹s wrenching my bike again - he is the lead mechanic. He was been with me since last Dakar and I have had no mechanical problems since I hooked up with him. These conditions are harsh - Andy went through the skid plate yesterday - through and through - and into the pipe. But our KTM¹s are very tough and they just keep going. Even when I am convinced that my bike is OK, Matt still spends 4-5 hours on the bike to assure that there are no problems. It's cool to see everybody working at night in the bivouac.² ³As for tires, we have 2 different rear compounds depending on how long the stages are and what type of terrain we¹re in. The trucks have all the wheels we¹ll use here with us. The back of the truck has 3 racks of wheels. It¹s amazing.² PRIVATIZATION ³Lots of the privateers don't do anything to their bikes - they are just too tired when the arrive and they rely on the fact that they might make it to the end without too much maintenance. Those guys have it pretty rough but a finish is like a win for them. We¹re got other objectives we¹re here to race.² BLAIS SHOUTS OUT ³Thanks to all of my sponsors, my family and especially my wife Patty for all the support. Rankings: Special: 444 km Stage Results: 1. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 04:00:32h 2. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 03:23 3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), + 03:52 4. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 05:31 5. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 05:55 6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), + 06:44 7. Despres (Gauloises KTM), +08:13 8. Fretigne (YAMAHA), + 08:19 9. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 10:14 10. Amaral (KTM), + 11:12 11. Grider (Red Bull USA KTM), + 11:28 12. De Azevedo (KTM), + 12:00 13. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), + 12:31 14. Katrinak (KTM), + 12:44 15. Rivera (KTM), + 14:21 16. Duclos (KTM), + 17:40 17. Marchini (KTM), + 19:11 18. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 23:54 19. Farres Geull (YAMAHA), + 24:09 20. Czachor (YAMAHA), + 24:50 23. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 28:03 25. Casteu (Gauloises KTM) + 37:09 Overall Results: 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 18:15:45 h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 18:19:28 h, + 03:43 3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 18:20:10 h, + 04:25 4. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 18:21:42 h, + 05:57 5. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 18:43:28 h, + 27:43, Penalty: 02:00 6. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 18:50:13h, + 34:28 7. Sala (Repsol KTM), 18:53:35h, + 37:50 8. Ullevalseter (KTM), 18:57:53 h, + 42:08 9. Katrinak (KTM), 19:13:05 h, + 57:20 10. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 19:13:56 h, + 58:11 11. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), 19:17:56 h, + 01:02:11 h 12. De Azevedo (KTM), 19:22:17 h, + 01:06:32 h 13. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 19:42:26h, + 01:26:41 h 14. Agra Carrera (YAMAHA), 19:43:38 h, + 01:27:53 h 15. Amaral (KTM), 19:44:05 h, + 01:28:20 h 16. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 19:44:26 h, + 01:28:41 h 17. Duclos (KTM), 19:50:47 h, + 01:35:02 h 18. Faria (KTM), 19:52:07 h, + 01:36:22 h, Penalty: 12:00 19. Rivera (KRM), 19:59:40 h, +01:43:55 h 20. Grider (Red Bull USA KTM), 20:05:59 h, + 01:50:14 h 23. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 21:00:00 h, + 02:44:15 h =========== ================================= Tomorrow - Jan 6, 2006 - Stage 7 Zouérat to Atar Total distance: 521 km - 10 km transfer - 499 special test - 12 km liaison
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STAGE 7 – GRIDER CRASHES OUT OF THE DAKAR
Zouérat to Atar
Total distance: 521 km - 10 km transfer - 499 special test - 12 km liaison
Report by Scott Cox - Photos by P. Batini – Maps from www.dakar.com
====================================================
Thanks to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com . Special thanks also to www.dirtbikemagazine.com <http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com>, www.dualsportnews.com <http://www.dualsportnews.com>,
====================================================
It was a tough Stage 7 for the Red Bull KTM US Dakar team with devastating consequences for team rookie, Andy Grider #23. After surviving two difficult, very lengthy stages through Morocco and Mauritania Grider and his Red Bull KTM teammate Chris Blais #9, joined the course out of Zouerat, both looking forward to warmer weather and the challenge of the first major dunes of the rally.
Yesterday's dramatic Stage 6 was riddled with crashes and serious outcomes not the least of which saw the front runner, Cyril Despres #1, limping into the bivouac last night with a dislocated collar bone. He managed to gather himself up for a courageous attempt at Stage 7 but for all intents and purposes the Frenchman’s dreams for a podium spot are on hold until next year. From a competitive standpoint, Despres’ dire situation fueled more than a few late strategy sessions in the tents last night.
JOE BARKER, RED BULL KTM US DAKAR TEAM MANAGER - “Today was really going well for us. With the inverted (reverse order) start the opportunity to ride fast without lots of technical navigation challenges early on suited Chris and Andy well.”
DISASTER IN THE SAND - Unfortunately, Mauritanias infamous soft <<quick sand>> of the El Beyyed erg swallowed the front end of the #23 KTM sending Grider on what Barker describes as “an F16 style ejection ride.”
Grider was just ahead of KTM rider Viladoms #21 when his crash occurred. According to Viladoms, Grider flew fast and far, completely clearing the long sand embankment they were both negotiating eventually impacting his back on the hard desert floor. Grider immediately rose climbed back up the embankment and attempted to restart his #23 KTM. However, the gravity of his situation immediately sunk in. His day and his Dakar Rally hopes were over with.
After a helicopter ride back to the bivouac, an examination by rally doctors as well as the Red Bull KTM US Dakar team physician, Dr. Jonathan Edwards, Grider was flown to a hospital in the Canary Islands. Upon learning of his situation, Grider’s family members curtailed their stay in Europe to join him. Preliminary reports are that Grider is stable and his injuries were not deemed serious or life threatening.
BLAIS BLAZES ON – By contrast to his teammate’s day, Chris Blais #9, had a smooth, non-eventful Stage 7 adventure. His approach to the Dakar is one of solid determination and cunning. As a second year vet, Blais is well aware that the real racing takes place in the later stages when lack of sleep, fatigue, injury and the elements will begin exacting revenge on the entire rally.
“Chris is cool and calm,” observed team manager Joe Barker, “He rides his own race, at his own pace and all he has to do is look around him to see that all the effort is for not if he doesn’t make it to Dakar.”
Blais survived the dunes, camel grass, high-speeds and rocky plateaus over the nearly 500km+ stage. He arrived at the bivouac comfortably in 13th position for the day and now sits in 12th place overall.
Rankings :
Special: 499 km
Stage Results:
1. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 06:28:11h
2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 01:27
3. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 02:00
4. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), + 04:29
5. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 13:56
6. De Azevedo (KTM), + 17:12
7. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), + 20:28
8. Fretigne (YAMAHA), + 23:12
9. Despres (Gauloises KTM), +30:23
10. Bethys (HONDA), + 32:29
11. Casteu (Gauloises KTM) + 32:34
12. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), + 33:41
13. Farres Geull (YAMAHA), + 34:37
14. Czachor (YAMAHA), + 36:29
15. Katrinak (KTM), + 36:38
16. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 37:30
17. Vinters (KTM), + 40:20
18. Knuiman (YAMAHA), + 40:29
19. Stanovnik (KTM), + 40:47
20. Street (KTM), +46:45
22. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 47:22
Overall Results:
1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 24:45:23 h
2. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 24:49:53 h, + 04:30
3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 24:52:50h, + 07:27
4. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 25:18:02h, + 32:39
5. Sala (Repsol KTM), 25:23:46 h, + 38:23
6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 25:32:07 h, + 46:44, Penalty: 02:00
7. Ullevalseter (KTM), 25:40:00 h, + 54:37
8. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 25:41:36 h, + 56:13
9. De Azevedo (KTM), 26:07:40 h, + 01:22:17 h
10. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 26:14:41 h, + 01:29:18 h
11. Katrinak (KTM), 19:13:05h, + 57:20
12. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), 19:17:56 h, + 01:02:11 h
13. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 26:59:59 h, + 02:14:36 h
14. Duclos (KTM), 27:05:50 h, + 02:20:27 h
15. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 19:42:26h, + 01:26:41 h
16. Czachor (YAMAHA), 27:20:12 h, +02:34:49 h
17. Street (KTM), 28:13:06, + 03:27:43
18. Stanovnik (KTM), 28:13:28 h, + 03:28:05 h
19. Knuiman (YAMAHA), 28:14:23 h, + 03:29:00 h
20. Bethys (HONDA), 28:25:56 h, + 03:40:33 h
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Tomorrow - Jan 7, 2006 - Stage 8 – Atar to Nouakchott
Total distance: 568 km - 34 km transfer - 508 special test - 26 km liaison
Joe Barker - Photo by H. Peuker
Chris Blaise, Stage 8 - Photo by DPPi
January 7, 2006 STAGE 8 Atar > Nouakchott Total distance: 568 km - 34 km transfer - 508 special test - 26 km liaison===========================================================================
Thanks to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com .Special thanks also to www.dirtbikemagazine.com <http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com>, www.dualsportnews.com <http://www.dualsportnews.com> , www.dualsportmotorcycling.com<http://dualsportmotorcycling.com> and others for sharing these
reports by hosting them on their fine websites. Thanks to AMA District 37 for riding along, too!======================= BLAIS CELEBRATES 2ND PLACE FINISH! Moves into top 10 My morning wake up call today was extra special. On the phone from the Stage 8 finish in Nouakchott, Mauritania was an elated Chris Blais. The Red Bull KTM team rider had just wrapped up 2nd place for the day, the best finish of Blais¹ budding Dakar Rally career. Here are a few highlights from Chris' spectacular day: CHRIS BLAIS ³I guess it was a little bit of luck and a little bit of everything today that worked for me. It was another wild day. Everybody is charging way fast. Sometimes to just stay on top of the sand and not sink in, sometimes to chase down the guy ahead, and sometimes to try to stay ahead of the pack. LOST! - At 272km in, there were big gap between the GPS waypoints and the lead group [including Esteve, Coma, Despres and De Gavardo] ended up going quite a distance off piste [off course]. We appeared to be going off to the right too far in search of the proper waypoints which are supposed to appear 3km before you get to them. Lots of confusion for everyone. I saw that nobody had a proper read so I stopped and went to one side of the course, retraced my tracks and went back 1 to 2km in the direction we¹d come. I was convinced that we were all at least 5km off course. EUREKA! - I¹d located the course again and acquired the waypoint we were all looking for, I started to head back in the proper direction. Despres #1 and Casteu #8 saw what I was up to and passed me. I dropped in with them and chased Œem to the fuel stop. Had I not found the waypoint we would not have found the fuel stop. And this is not a place where you want to be lost and out of fuel. MAALOX MOMENTS I began the day with a bad stomach so I had to stop and take care of business at 60km. I lost a few minutes taking care of my situation but it was worth it. Believe me. SAND, SAND & MORE SAND The sand out here is endless and tricky. At first very fast washes then super soft sand then lots and lots of loose rocks and more sand. I kept pushing hard but I wasn¹t comfortable going so fast. After the sand and rocks the course entered a twisty, 2nd gear brush sections. MEN OVERBOARD Everybody was crashing, and often. I watched guys like Gio Sala #6 and Andy Caldecott #10 falling off and getting stuck in the very soft sand. Everybody is falling no matter how much experience they have. Pro or amateur they¹re all going down. Again and again. Everywhere you looked riders were cartwheeling. We¹s skid off dunes and roll over. One time I fell down hill and couldn¹t unstick my bike. I¹d try to turn it around but the bars would just dig deeper - a bad spot an extreme angle. I tore up parts and ended up riding the last 120km with no front brakes. To make things worse we had very windy, sandstorm conditions. It was much warmer today and my feet were hot all day from endless standing. You couldn¹t sit ride you had to stand on the pegs all day. GOOD SAMARITAN - At one point I launched off a small cliff and went down. Caldecott stopped to get me going again. I dropped in behind and let him lead the way after that. He did me a big favor by helping me. I owe that guy a big one! BLAIS¹ NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE Approaching a fuel stop I hit a road crossing and launched my KTM about 60-feet! It was very scary. It was like clearing a big double. Fortunately I didn¹t crash but it was hairy - not something I expected to see and I¹m disappointed that it wasn¹t marked in our road books. CARNAGE Both Casteu¹s and Fretigne¹s bikes were very torn up. They¹d obviously gotten off hard and lost pieces and parts including road book holders, which you can¹t navigate without. FINALLY A DAY OFF! The entire Red Bull KTM US Dakar team is glad to have arrived at the rest day. Speaking for myself I need a break to make the rally fun again. For me it gets tiring riding every day as much as we do and 24-hours off the bike will be awesome. SIGHTINGS, ETC - In the beginning we went through 4 or 5 villages then 300km where we didn¹t see a damned thing. No living beings. Jonah Street, passed me on his 525 KTM. It¹s better suited for the tight stuff and he blasted by in the twisty section. About 50km from the finish there was some guy on an Adventure bike riding along straight toward us, appearing to be having a good time. I thought ³Who is the guys coming at me? And what the hell is he doing way out here?² The roadbook hasn¹t¹ been as good as it should be. We went for 15km where there were no notations nothing to gauge from. You can¹t go in a straight line and detect partially visible tracks but they are not reliable. We see photo guys every so often. When you are out there you realized there is nothing out here. The organizers tell us how much fuel need to be in the bikes. I always want a little bit extra so that if I get lost I won¹t also get out of gas, too. If you are all by yourself and nobody else goes. BLAIS ON GRIDER After the stage 7 start I never again saw Andy [Grider #23]. I had branched off with a couple of other riders during the stage and our paths didn¹t cross. Until I finished riding yesterday and arrived at the bivouac, I had no idea that he¹d been hurt or that they had transported him to the hospital in the Canary Islands. HOW THINGS WILL CHANGE WITH 1 MAN TEAM Andy¹s mechanic will stay on to help out and gain experience but now we¹ll just have one less rider. Both mechanics, Matt Spencer and Matt Hebert are working on my bike right now. A decision was mad to leave the same engine in the bike because it¹s really been running well. No problems at all. Normally we would change the engine by now but we¹ll leave the bike as is. My WP forks and rear suspension never even get serviced, they¹re good. Same grips. Same bars. Same seat very nice. Same bodywork no damage at all. JOE BARKER CHECKS IN: Red Bull KTM US Dakar team manager, Joe Barker, is the tireless captain of the American team. His flashlight burns into the wee hours of each rally morning while he checks and rechecks the all important details that will assure that his riders and mechanics will have a chance to continue on until next weekend. Today, he was elated to locate and secure a house, with one bed [maybe for Blais?] so that his guys might seek a few hours of refuge from the blowing sand. ³It¹s really blowing out at the bivouac. Couldn¹t see anything, couldn¹t breathe. The bivouac is 3km from the airport which doesn¹t allow easy access - we couldn¹t just run back and forth. There are a ton of military types around these parts. So thanks to our friend Jordi Arcarons, we¹ve been able to secure a house for the rest stop and it¹s been a real treat. Steak and pasta dinner. Showers. It¹s all good!² ============================================================== From www.dakar.com ³Former privateer David Casteu (KTM n°8) who finished 13th of last year¹s event clocked the fastest time at CP2 before capturing his first ever [stage win]. Casteu beat the USA¹s Chris Blais (KTM n°9) by 2-minutes, 13-seconds. The 25-year-old American managed his best ever performance in a Dakar. Third was Cyril Despres who was taking it easy until the first check-point (18th over 11² adrift) resting his shoulder, before making the right move when it really mattered. The title-holder finished 2¹17² behind but gained time on his Spanish rivals: over 2-minutes on Esteve and close to 4-minutes on Coma. Despres still remains well behind the race leaders and seemed to have forgotten his shoulder worries but was complaining about a wrist tendonitis.² ============================================================== From www.ktmpress.com The Dark Side of The Moon For the 7th stage the competitors left Tan Tan very early in the morning. Around 2:00pm the first riders were at the bivouac of Atar. But the stage was not over. At midnight about 50 riders were still in the desert, almost sure they would spent the night far from the bivouac. Some decided to stop and sleep a short, cold and troubled night. Others proceeded very slowly, sentenced to the withdrawal. Throughout the night, one after another, headlights came out of the darkness to announce the arrival of another rider. The organizers decided to let the last riders leave for the next stage, after a medical check-up. Should they reach the bivouac at Nouackchott? And if so, should they have time to enjoy this area devastated by a sandstorm? In the last hundred kilometres David Casteu took maximum advantage of the situation and finally won his first special test of the Dakar, just in front of the admirable American, Chris Blais. The pair was followed by Cyril Despres and Isidre Esteve. ³I have to thank Cyril Despres², said Casteu at the finish. ³He is a master of navigation. I only had to follow him and learn. At the finish I thought for a long time this was the area where last year we have lost Fabrizio Meoni, and I dedicated him my first victory, I am sure he is watching us and he is also happy for my success today.² Leading more than the 60% of all Dakar competitors is Hans Trunkenpolz, the ³General² of the KTM Army: ³For me the race is always very interesting. During so many years, every time I loved this special taste of the victory, but one kind of feeling has become more and more intransigent: this one coming from the safety of the riders. Each day I feel good when a KTM rider wins a stage, but I finally feel completely comfortable only when the last rider has reached the bivouac without any accident². Finally a rest day. 24 hours of détente. Restart on Monday, compass to Kiffa. ============================================================== Stage 8 rankings : Special: 508 km Stage Results: 1. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 05:55:55h 2. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), + 02:13 3. Despres (Gauloises KTM), +02:17 4. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), + 06:58 5. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 08:02 6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), + 08:47 7. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 09:51 8. Vinters (KTM), + 11:24 9. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 12:16 10. De Azevedo (KTM), + 13:52 11. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 14:07 12. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 15:21 13. Bethys (HONDA), + 16:24 14. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 25:38 15. Duclos (KTM), + 30:33 16. Meillat (HONDA), + 45:03 17.Piroud (YAMAHA). + 48:06 18. Rivera (KTM), + 49:44 19. Stanovnik (KTM), + 52:15 20. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 54:07 Overall Results 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 30:49:20 h 2. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 30:55:43 h, + 06:23 3. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 31:01:09 h, + 11:49 4. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 31:16:14 h, + 26:54 5. Sala (Repsol KTM), 31:33:48 h, + 44:28 6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 31:36:49 h, + 47:29, Penalty: 02:00 7. Ullevalseter (KTM), 32:01:33 h, + 01:12:13 h 8. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 32:10:36 h, + 01:21:16 h 9. De Azevedo (KTM), 32:17:27 h, + 01:28:07 h 10. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 32:17:56 h, + 01:28:36 h 11. Duclos (KTM), 33:32:18 h, + 02:42:58 h 12. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 33:50:01 h, + 03:00:41 h 13. Czachor (YAMAHA), 34:14:30 h, +03:25:10 h 14. Bethys (HONDA), 34:38:15 h, +03:48:55 h 15. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), 34:40:54 h, + 03:51:34 h 16. Marchini (YAMAHA), 34:41:55 h, + 03:52:35 h 17. Stanovnik (KTM), 35:01:38 h, 04:12:18h 18. Vinters (KTM), 35:15:27 h, 04:26:07h 19. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 37:10:18 h, + 06:20:58h 20. Piroud (YAMAHA), 37:23:22 h, 06:34:02 ============================================================== Tomorrow - Sunday , January 8, 2006 rest day
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Sunday, January 8, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Sunday, January 8, 2006
THE REST DAY
NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA
Report by Scott Cox
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Tomorrow: Stage 9 - Monday 9 January 2006 - Nouakchott to Kiffa
Total distance: 874 km - transfer 30 km – Special 599 km – Liason 245 km
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Still a long way to go!
4205kms are still to be covered in this 2006 Euromilhoes Dakar and already
it’s been a rally full of drama and upsets. - from www.dakar.com
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A welcome day away from rocks and sand was heaven sent for Chris Blais #9
and the entire Red Bull US Dakar team support staff. Blais’ heroic 2nd place
finish in what the Dakar front runner have considered the toughest of thus
far, is a badge of honor for the 25-year old Californian but grueling days
ahead keep team enthusiasm in check.
JOE BARKER – “Thanks to our friend Jordi Arcarons, we were able to get a
house for the rest day which allowed us to escape the circus atmosphere back
at the bivouac. We ate good meals, got cleaned up and rested comfortably.
Don’t get me wrong, the food throughout the week has been fantastic and the
Dakar organizers do a fantastic job for everyone involved with the rally.
It’s just nice to be away from the noise and out of the blowing sand for a
few hours.”
TAXI! - During his call, Barker also mentioned that in addition to the
house, the team had been given the use of what he thinks could be the only
Chevy Suburban in Nouakchott. “Maybe the only one in Mauritania. Never
thought I’d see, let alone ride in, a Chevy over here!”
BLAIS STILL GOING STRONG – After a tough week and with half of the Dakar
Rally to complete Blais is still in amazing shape, both physically and
mentally. Team physician, Dr. Dr. Jonathan Edwards maintains a close watch
on his riders, as well as others, and he is very pleased with the results of
Blais’ condition.
PENALTIES – At tonight’s briefing, rally officials have levied heavy time
penalties on a few riders for violations that may have included exceeding
the 160km per hour limit and missing stage 8 waypoints. Suffering the blow
of a 1-hour penalty is Chile’s top rallyist Carlos De Gavardo #4. De Gavardo
now drops from 3rd to 5th overall. A devastating 2-hour whipping was issued
to Australian Andy Caldecott #10, who drops from 6th place to 10th. It
wasn’t fully divulged during the rider briefing just how exactly the
penalties were determined. As expected, the affected team filed some
protests.
SILVER LINING FOR BLAIS – Running smart and under the penalty radar, Chris
Blais moved up two notches overall - he now occupies the 8th position.
TOMORROW – Monday morning will come early and open the gate on another very
difficult stage filled with more sand dunes, more rocks, a mountain crossing
and technically demanding navigation. To make matters more interesting will
be another inverted start for the motorcyclists.
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN - The first bike will leave the line at about
6:30am but Blais won’t get his big KTM 660 Rallye rolling until almost
everyone else is on their way. He expects his day to be filled with a broad
network of errant tracks and miscues from the remaining 120+ bikes ahead of
him. If Blais keeps his cool, and rides smart throughout his expected
12-hour shift, he will hopefully remain in the top 10.
BARKER ON ARCARONS – “Repsol KTM team boss Jordi Arcarons has become a
staunch ally and friend to the Red Bull KTM US Dakar team. He personally
goes through the roadbooks with us to point out the significant things for
the riders, based on his own personal experience. We have developed a very
strong bond with Jordi and the rest of the Repsol team. We have learned fast
but we are still learning and it’s wonderful to have someone like Jordi in
an event like this. His experience as a competitor and manager have really
made things better for us.”
Barker also mentioned that the American team has reciprocated as much as
possible and the Dr. Edwards has used his talents to support the Arcaron’s
team as well.
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DAKAR RALLY ON THE TUBE - OLN TV – In case you haven’t caught the
broadcasts, yet, tune into OLN-TV for daily 30-minute Dakar Rally updates.
Tour de France commentator, Kirsten Gum, who is so far doing an admirable
job covering the entire event, hosts the show. Of course, we’re not seeing
enough about the American riders but we’ll have to take what we get. Log on
to www.olntv.com <http://www.olntv.com/> for local listings. Drop ‘em an
email while you’re there and tell them to SHOW MORE BLAIS!
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Thanks to www.ktm.com and www.dakar.com . Special thanks also to www.dirtbikemagazine.com <http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com>, www.dualsportnews.com <http://www.dualsportnews.com> , www.dualsportmotorcycling.com <http://www.dualsportmotorcycling.com>
and others for sharing these reports by hosting them on their fine websites. Thanks to AMA District 37 for riding along, too!
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Tomorrow: Stage 9 - Monday 9 January 2006
Nouakchott to Kiffa
Total distance: 874 km - transfer 30 km – Special 599 km – Liason 245 km
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Monday, January 9, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Andy Caldecott - Photo by P. Batini January 9, 2006 STAGE 9 Nouakchott > Kiffa Total distance: 874 km - 30 km transfer - 599 special test - 245 km liaison Report by Scott Cox. Photo by P. Batini DAKAR'S DARKEST DAY Chris Blais and the entire Red Bull KTM US Dakar team would like to extend their condolences to the family of Andy Caldecott #10, who tragically lost his life today during Stage 9 of the 2006 Dakar Rally. The 41-year-old Australian was a talented member of the Repsol Junior team as well as a friend and staunch ally to Chris and the American team. "I last saw and spoke with Andy at a gas stop just 20km from where he crashed," said Blais. "He was a tremendous rider and a big help to me during earlier stages in the rally. This is a huge loss and all of us are stunned by his passing." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FROM KTM PRESS WEBSITE Fatal accident of 41 year old Australian Andy Caldecott 1-9-06 Australian Repsol KTM rider Andy Caldecott fatally crashed on the 9th stage of the Dakar (Nouakchott Kiffa). The accident happened directly after the day off. This information has totally shocked us, we¹re at a loss for words. The terrible accidents in the past 2 years caused us to start with mixed feelings and question our rally engagement. The presenters of the Dakar have tried to make the rally safer together with several manufacturers. A tempo limit has been adopted, a GPS system which enables each rider to be located and to allow him to communicate with the presenter. Riders can have more rests now due to shorter tank stops. A pretty sportive rally until yesterday¹s day of rest eclipsed the pain of the past - today we were brutally pulled out of our dream to make this rally safe. Our thoughts are with Andy and his family. KTM Motorsport ============================================================== STAGE 9 RESULTS - Blais finished 9th overall for Stage 9, he is now in 6th position overall. Today's was a long and trying stage with very high-speeds, dust and challenging obstacles. By 10pm, more than half of the field had still not arrived in the bivouac. ============================================================== Tomorrow - Tuesday , January 10, 2006 Kiffa to Kayes Total distance 333km - NO SPECIAL TEST ******************************************************** Media Release from KTM Australia...
Andy Caldecott 1964-2006 - Photo by P.BatiniMedia Release - 10 January 2005
Australia bids farewell to Andy Caldecott our greatest ever rally rider
Australia is mourning the tragic loss of our countries greatest ever rally rider, Andy Caldecott, who suffered a fatal crash on the 9th stage of the Dakar Rally, the toughest rally in the world.
The four-time Australian Safari winner from Keith in South Australia was participating in his third Dakar Rally following an invitation to represent Spain's KTM-Repsol Team.
Caldecott first competed in the Dakar in 2004, retiring in 6th position after courageously finishing stage seven with a broken ankle. In 2005 Caldecott returned to Dakar showing the world he was a rider to be reckoned with after taking two stage wins at Smara and Kayes, finally realising his dream in reaching the beaches of Dakar, finishing the rally 6th outright.
Caldecott was a late entry for the 2006 Dakar after receiving a call up two weeks prior to the beginning of the event. Caldecott still showed he is a true champion, winning stage three on January 2 at Er Rachidia, as he clocked the fastest time of 3h21'11" on the 314km special.
Tragedy struck Caldecott on stage nine of Dakar, after placing as high as 4th overall in the standings. Race officials have confirmed Caldecott was on a fast section yet not exceeding the speed limit of 160kph; his accident was merely the punishing landscape taking control.
Caldecott's passion was motorcycle riding. He first rode a bike at the tender age of 8 years old and started competing at the age of 10, winning numerous junior motocross state and national titles.
By 15 years old Caldecott was South Australian Junior Motocross Champion and spent the next ten years of his racing career winning state motocross titles and competing in the famous Mr Motocross Titles. He then hung up his racing boots for as long as seven years, until his passion was rekindled in the form of vintage motocross, where he went on to win 17 National Vintage Motocross Championships and two World Vintage Motocross Championships.
By 1999, Caldecott had taken an interest in long distance rally riding, entering his first Australian Safari. In his first meeting Caldecott was leading the Australian Safari but was forced to retire early due to injury. Returning to the Australian Safari in the year 2000, Caldecott won the event outright and followed through with consecutive wins in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The year 2002 also saw Caldecott win the 35 years class at the classic Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs.
Recognised as Australia's biggest name in safari rally events, Caldecott's reputation soon spread overseas and by 2003, he received invitations to ride in the Rally Optic in Tunisia placing 4th, the Rally Orpi in Morocco placing 7th and the UAE Desert Challenge in Dubai placing 6th. These results placed Caldecott equal 3rd in the 2003 World Cross Country Rally Championship.
It was in 2004 that Caldecott's dream came true to ride in the world's toughest rally - Dakar. His passion for riding combined with his reputation for a cool mind and grace on a motorcycle saw him return to Dakar until it tragically took his life. Never a risk taker and always a smart rider, Caldecott's passing in the 2006 Dakar is a tragic loss.
While motorcycle racing was his passion, Caldecott's greatest love of all was his immediate family, his supportive wife Tracey and beautiful daughter Caitlin.
All who knew Andy Caldecott loved him. A great Australian rally legend that will be sadly missed by the motorcycle fraternity, his wife Tracey and daughter Caitlin, as we mourn in the loss of a heroic man.
KTM send their love and thoughts to the Caldecott family and request the industry and media respect the Caldecott family's wishes to be left in peace to mourn the loss of husband, father, son, brother and friend.
Rest in Peace Andy, our memories will never fade mate.
KTM Australia
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Chris Blaise Stage 10 - Photo by DPPi
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 STAGE 10 - KIFFA to KAYES - no special test today Total distance - 333 km ============================================================= A DAY OF REMEMBERENCE No Race For The Motorcycles Today Due to the tragic death Monday of Australia's Andy Caldectott #10, all Dakar Rally motorcycle competitors completed the stage to Kayes but they had agreed not to compete today. After a pre-ride moment of silence, all riders elected to simply ride the 333 km stage together and use the time to reflect on the loss of a valiant competitor and friend. With most of the Dakar now behind him, Chris Blais #9 continues to ride confidently and he looks forward to the difficult final stages of his 2006 rally. He had some interesting insights about the complexion of the event thus far. "Besides the dust, wind, rocks and dunes I am seeing an amazing number of animals on the course. Not so much during the specials but in the liaison stages. All sorts of animals: camels, cows, sheep, and lots of 'em!" said Blais "It's as if the liaisons are more treacherous than the specials. On the way into Kiffa I'm sure I saw at least 50 dead cows between the end of the special and the bivouac." "So far my KTM has run very well and I haven't suffered from the navigation errors that many of my competitors have. I've watched the mistakes they're making and patience is something that is in short supply this year," Blais reflected. "I saw so many crashes on Stage 9 and most looked like riders, even very experienced riders, just wouldn't wait to pass slower riders when the conditions allowed. It was a long, long stage but despite thick dust and no visibility guys would just launch off the course and blast across who knows what to overtake another rider. It was crazy." Stage 9 featured an inverted, reverse order start. Faster riders started from the back of the field - slowest riders started first. Rankings: 10th stage: Kiffa > Kayes Special: 283 km - SPECIAL TEST CANCELLED - LIASON ONLY Stage 9 positions carried through to start of Stage 11 Rankings as of 9 Stage 9: Nouakchott> Kiffa Special: 599 km Stage Results: 1. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 07:55:48 h 2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 04:07 3. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 07:00 4. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 12:43 5. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 19:36 6. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 23:10 7. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 27:33 8. De Azevedo (KTM), + 33:35 9. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), + 34:40 10. Goncalves (HONDA), + 36:30 11. Bethys (HONDA), + 52:54 12. Duclos (KTM), + 01:00:37 h 13. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), + 01:04:06 h 14. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 01:05:39 h 15. Croquelois (YAMAHA), + 01:08:35 h 16. Oosting (YAMAHA), + 01:10:15 h 17. Knuiman (YAMAHA), + 01:14:32 h 18. Czachor (KTM), + 01:23:28 h 19. Algay (YAMAHA), + 01:24:10 h 20. Lepan (KTM), + 01:26:55 h 32. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), + 02:18:57 h Overall Results: 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 38:49:15 h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 39:12:02 h, + 22:47 3. Sala (Repsol KTM), 39:42:19 h, + 53:04 4. Ullevalseter (KTM), 40:16:57 h, + 01:27:42 h 5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 40:24:30 h, + 01:35:15 h, Penalty: 01.00:00 h 6. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), 40:48:24 h, + 01:59:09 h 7. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 42:25:21 h, + 03:36:06 h 8. Duclos (KTM), 42:28:35 h, + 03:39:20 h 9. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), 42:43:42 h, + 03:54:27 h 10. De Azevedo (KTM), 42:46:50 h,+ 03:57:35 h 11. Bethys (HONDA), 43:26:57 h, +04:37:42 h 12. Knuiman (YAMAHA), 44:45:05 h, 05:55:50 h 13. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 44:51:28 h, + 06:02:13 h 14. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 44:54:26 h, + 06:05:11 h, Penalty: 30:00 15. Vinters (KTM), 44:57:36 h, 06:08:21 h 16. Algay (YAMAHA), 45:05:56 h, +06:16:41 h 17. Czachor (YAMAHA), 45:33:46 h, +06:44:31 h 18. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 46:09:16 h, + 07:20:01 h, Penalty: 40:00 19. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 46:56:09 h, + 08:06:54 h 20. Lepan (KTM), 47:05:33 h, 08:16:18 h
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Chris Blaise prepares - Photo by DPPi
Wednesday, January 11, 2006 Report by Scott Cox - photos by DPPI STAGE 11 - Kayes to Bamako Total distance: 705km - transfer 50km - Special test 231km - liaison 424km BACK TO BAMAKO After a day of riding and reflection in honor of fallen rider, Andy Caldecott #10, the Dakar field was back in action on the challenging terrain of Mali. For Red Bull KTM pilot, Chris Blais #9, the scene reminded him of riding much closer to home, in Baja California. The mix of vegetation twisty roads, huts, people and animals gave the day a Baja feel. The weather now is considerably warmer than the colder scene further north in Morocco and with so many days in the saddle, keeping things moving in the right direction - whether mechanical or physical - becomes more and more difficult with each passing kilometer. REPSOL BOSS JORDI ARILLIA - The man responsible for substantial support of Blais and the Red Bull KTM team is Jordi Arillia. Today he took a few minutes to explain what drives REPSOL efforts in the Dakar. "Repsol loves the rally and working through difficult challenges as a team. It is our goal to build partnership to develop teams such as our Repsol Junior Team as well as with Chris Blais and the Red Bull KTM team," said Arillia. When asked why Repsol chose to associate with the America team he explains "We were first approached by Heinz Kinigadner about a colaboration and we recognized a good fit. We've known Joe Barker from previous Dakar's and we like the America style, too." Since the beginning of the 2006 Dakar Rally, Repsol team manager, Jordi Arcarons has been a guiding light for both the Repsol Jr team as well as the Red Bull KTM team. Thus far, his help has been invaluable. "Jordi has many years of competing in the Dakar and his knowledge of this form of racing is invaluable," said Red Bull KTM's Joe Barker. "Each night he works with Chris to foresee the dangers, edit the roadbook and prepare for the next stage. He is a wonderful friend to all of us and we have developed a very strong bond. Just like family." "After so many years in Africa, Jordi Arcarons knows more about the people, the land and the situation better than his own home. It is his home." Insists Arillia. It is our hope to continue to build a relationship with Chris Blais and the American team. And the only way that an American rider will make it to the winners podium is with more experience, more training. We hope to be part of that success." MORE THAN RACING - "Rally is important to Repsol and I know that after a disaster such as Andy's death this week, it is hard for some to understand," said Arillia. "Yesterday I was back in Spain and when you are away it is easy to find fault with such danger. However, when you are here in Africa, in the bivouac with the riders and teams, with almost 2000 people together you realize that the Dakar is much more than just racing. It is one of the last true adventures in the world!" TOMORROW - STAGE 12 - First bikes off the line about 3:40am. Blais will rise at 2am head to bivouac. His kit is already packed for action and he'll need every bit of preparation to see him through a long 14+ hour day on his KTM. "The longest stage of the rally is tomorrow [stage 12} and the main challenge will be no assistance for the competitors," said Barker. "Chris is in very good shape. His bike continues performing well and we're beginning to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Our entire team is doing very well, holding together." ========================================================== From www.ktmpress.com - Waiting for the next two stages, to Labhé, Guinea, and to Tambacounda, Senegal, the riders are about to face a long marathon stage. No assistance will be sent to Labhè, so all the riders will count only in their own energies. Furthermore a good reason to gently deal with tires, engines and the entire bike. Just one year ago, January 11, 2005, in the stage between Atar and Kiffa of the 27th Dakar, we lost Fabrizio Meoni. Much more than an unforgettable Champion. ========================================================== Rankings : 11th stage: Kayes > Bamako Special: 231 km Stage Results: 1. Duclos (KTM), + 03:16:40h 2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 01:27 3. Street (KTM), + 06:39 4. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), + 08:24 5. De Azevedo (KTM), + 09:36 6. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 10:04 7. Vinters (KTM), + 10:44 8. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 12:23 9. Despres (Gauloises KTM), + 13:04 10. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 13:38 11. Faria (KTM), + 14:20 12. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 15:01 13. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 15:24 14. Goncalves (HONDA), + 36:30 15. Verhoeven (YAMAHA), + 18:24 16. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), + 22:00 17. Czachor (KTM), + 22:46 18. Fretigne (YAMAHA), +23:18 19. Rivera (HKTM), + 30:06 20: Marchini (YAMAHA), + 31:55 22. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 36:45 Overall Results: 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 42:07:22 h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 42:41:46 h, + 34:24 3. Sala (Repsol KTM), 43:14:23 h, + 01:07:01 4. Ullevalseter (KTM), 43:48:38 h, + 01:41:16 h 5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 43:51:14 h, + 01:43:52h, Penalty: 01.00:00 h 6. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 44:13:28 h, + 02:06:06 h 7. Duclos (KTM), 45:45:15 h, + 03:37:53 h 8. De Azevedo (KTM), 46:13:06 h, + 04:05:44 h 9. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), 46:14:00 h, + 04:06:38 h 10. Bethys (HONDA), 47:28:52 h, +05:21:30h 11. Vinters (KTM), 48:25:00 h, 06:17:38 h 12. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 48:33:06 h, + 06:25:44 h, Penalty: 30:00 13. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 48:44:53 h, + 06:37:31 h 14. Czachor (YAMAHA), 49:13:12 h, +07:05:50 h 15. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 49:18:19 h, + 07:10:57 h, Penalty: 40:00 16. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 50:36:07 h, + 08:28:45 h 17. Marchini (YAMAHA), 50:57:44 h, + 08:50:22 h, Penalty: 01:00:00h 18. Street (KTM), 51:30:46 h, + 09:23:24 h 19. Stanovnik (KTM), 51:33:28 h, + 09:26:06 h, Penalty: 30:00 20. Devedija (YAMAHA), 56:01:51 h, + 13:54:29 h =========== Tomorrow - Jan 12, 2006 - Stage 12 Bamako to Labé Total distance: 872 km - 197 km transfer - 368 special test - 307 km liaison
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Thursday, January 12, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Chris Blaise Stage 12 - Photo by DPPi
Thursday, January 12, 2006 Story by Scott Cox - Photos DPPI STAGE 12 - Bamako, Mali to Labé, Guinea Total distance - 872km - 197 transfer - 368km special test - 307 liaison stage ===================================================== BLAIS GOES FOR GUINEA - 3RD TODAY, 4TH OVERALL Like the saying goes, "In order to finish first, one must first finish!" and such is the strategy being played out in Africa by Red Bull KTM's Chris Blais #9. Wise beyond his years, the easy going 25-year-old California desert racer is impressing rally veterans by continuing to outwit and outlast the best rally riders on earth. Call him "Mr. Consistency" Since leaving Lisbon, Portugal on December 31st, Blais has survived an onslaught of extreme weather, brutal terrain, navigational and challenges that the bulk of his rivals have succumbed to. Rally racing is not for the feint of heart and with his string of excellent daily finishes, including a 2nd in stage 8 and today's stage 12 3rd place finish, Blais is paving the way for a brilliant arrival in Dakar on Saturday. CHRIS BLAIS - 3rd today / 4th OA - "I rode at my pace, without taking risks. But I fell twice - that usually never happens to me. The first fall was a little one at very low speed and the second one I slipped on the side of the road, but without any serious consequences. I am now 4th overall." JOE BARKER, RED BULL KTM US DAKAR TEAM MANGER - "It is definitely another world, here in Guinea, a lot different from the earlier stages. We're out of the dunes and its very green and lush here. Despite today's very long stage, Chris continues to do an awesome job of staying focused and riding smart. He is really impressing people, in fact the entire team is doing a wonderful job. We finally have a light at the end of the tunnel. Just gotta keep going." ===================================================== American off-roader Jonah Street, aboard a privateer 525 KTM narrowly missed out on becoming a member of Blais' Red Bull KTM US Dakar team. JONAH STREET - 5th today / 20th OA "It's another good day for me after yesterday's good result. I really appreciate this kind of track, with dust and holes. But my bike can't compare to the leaders'. When Coma overtook me, I couldn't stay in touch. Tonight, I am in the Top 20. It's great but is very far from my original goal. I thought I could be in the top 10, but I made big mistakes in Morocco, I missed some waypoints in Mauritania, but, above all I was really penalized by my lack of speed." ===================================================== From www.dakar.com Stage 12 of the Euromilhoes Dakar 2006 took the competitors from Mali and its capital Bamako to Guinea and the city of Labé. On the 369kms of timed special, Cyril Despres captured his fourth success so far, only gaining over a minute on Marc Coma. After his upsets on Mauritanian soil suffering a severe crash on his way to Zouerat, Cyril Despres (KTM n°1) will certainly have the satisfaction not to have withdrawn from the rally. The courageous Frenchman clinched a fourth success on this 28th edition. On his way to a 14th stage win on a Dakar, Cyril Despres beat his main rival Marc Coma (KTM n°2) by only 1¹45². A tiny advantage for Despres considering his time deficit overall: now 32¹39². But the day was very eventful when it came to the following positions of the leaderboard. Fourth before the start this morning, Pal Anders Ullevalseter (KTM n°5) struggled and crossed the finish line losing 1h25¹. The Norwegian drops down to sixth spot of the race, over 3 hours adrift. It was also a bad day for Carlo De Gavardo (KTM n°4), suffering mechanical problems after crossing a river. Water in the engine of the Chilean¹s KTM forced him to lose over 44min. De Gavardo keeps his fifth spot overall but sees Chris Blais pass him and move up to fourth position. The American who had claimed fourth place of yesterday¹s special did even better today, finishing third, 2¹29² adrift. Blais, 25-years-of age looks to be headed to an excellent fourth spot in Dakar after capturing 9th spot last year for his first Dakar. He could even do better: he is indeed 21¹35² behind Giovanni Sala, third. ===================================================== Rankings : Special: 368 km Stage Results: 1. Despres (Gauloises KTM) 2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 01:45 3. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), + 02:29 4. De Azevedo (KTM), + 03:01 5. Street (KTM), + 06:43 6. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 07:35 7. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 08:34 8. Goncalves (HONDA), + 11:51 9. Vinters (KTM), + 15:31 10. Fretigne (YAMAHA), +15:57 11. Duclos (KTM), + 22:27 12. Marchini (YAMAHA), + 22:47 13. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), + 27:37 14. Verhoeven (YAMAHA), + 29:19 15. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 30:40 16. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), + 31:31 17. Algay (YAMAHA), + 31:53 18. Czachor (KTM), + 32:52 19. Knuiman (YAMAHA), + 37:50 20. Rivera (HKTM), + 39:43 21. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 39:59 22. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 44:48 Overall Results: 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 47:01:21 h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 47:34:00 h, + 32:39 3. Sala (Repsol KTM), 48:46:36 h, + 01:45:15 h 4. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), 49:08:11 h, + 02:06:50h 5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 49:28:16 h, + 02:26:55 h, Penalty: 01.00:00 h 6. Duclos (KTM), 50:59:56 h, + 03:58:35 h 7. De Azevedo (KTM), 51:08:21 h, + 04:07:00 h 8. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), 51:13:49 h, + 04:12:28 h 9. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 52:31:27 h, + 05:30:06 h 10. Vinters (KTM), 53:32:45 h, 06:31:24 h 11. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 54:07:47 h, + 07:06:26 h 12. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 54:19:07 h, + 07:17:46 h, Penalty: 40:00 13. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 54:21:49 h, + 07:20:28 h, Penalty: 30:00 14. Knuiman (YAMAHA), 54:28:16 h, + 07:26:55 h 15. Czachor (YAMAHA), 54:38:18 h, +07:36:57 h 16. Algay (YAMAHA), 54:45:01 h, + 07:43:40 h 17. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 55:44:18 h, + 08:42:57 h 18. Marchini (YAMAHA), 56:12:45 h, + 09:11:24 h, Penalty: 01:00:00h 19. Street (KTM), 56:29:43 h, + 09:28:22 h 20. Stanovnik (KTM), 57:14:40 h, + 10:13:19 h, Penalty: 30:00 ===================================================== Tomorrow - Friday , January 13, 2006 Stage 13 - Labé to Tambacounda Total distance 567km - 7km transfer - Special test 348km - Liaison stage 212km
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REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Friday, January 13, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Blaise riding through village - Photo by DPPi
Friday, January 13, 2006 Story by Scott Cox - Photos DPPI Stage 13 - Labé to Tambacounda Total distance 567km - 7km transfer - Special test 348km - Liaison stage 212km ===================================================== SALA RULES THE DAY- BLAIS HANGS TOUGH IN 4TH OA Chris Blais and the Red Bull KTM US Dakar team would like to extend congratulations to Giovanni "Gio" Sala for a heroic ride and his first ever Dakar stage win today. Starting from the 20th position, this journeyman of the rally circuit and multi-time Enduro champion proved that he had what it takes to run hard when the going is very tough. ===================================================== From www.dakar.com - Giovanni Sala (ITA KTM 1st) "I am very happy about this victory. Today¹s stage was very fast and dangerous, with many holes. So, I avoided taking too many risks. Then, in the mountains, it looked like an enduro course. And enduro is my business (laugh). When I reached the refueling, I saw that Blais was already there and I worried a bit. So, I attacked as much as possible until the end to protect my third place in the overall ranking." ===================================================== "Sala was on a mission today, that's for sure!" observed an elated Chris Blais #9 at the finish of Stage 13's very technical slippery, rock and obstacle strewn 'piste'. "I got a glimpse of his eyes at the fuel stop 210km in and he looked possessed. It was definitely his day." "Gio is the nicest guy in the world but he gave me a look like he wasn't gonna let some punk kid -like me- beat him. So I just said to myself, "let him go! He rides so fast. He was like no other enduro rider I've every seen. Incredible!" Blais reported further that today was super technical and filled with opportunities for failure. One false move and its over with. "For sure, this was a stage that could easily have ended the rally for me or anyone. It was full of tricky mountain passes and endless villages, which often contain speed traps that we have to be very careful about. The climbs and passes were sort of like running the Baja 1000 and heading up to Mike's [Sky Rancho - a famous Baja racing destination]. But today I wanted to have a perfectly clean ride with everything working and I did. It was perfect." As has been the case each day of the rally, adjustments to the roadbook and extra attention to danger situations have been a big part of Blais' strategy. Due to severe weather and the effect this has had on the terrain, it's vital that front runners, such as Blais, take extra care in nightly pre-ride prep and planning. "I corrected over 8 pages of the [road] book last night. Focusing on dangers and "double dangers" is necessary because of the weather they have had down here since the roadbooks were laid out in 2005. There are gnarly rain ruts and problems that you cannot ignore." Blais' only other major concern has been his IRItrack which the rally organization require be installed on his KTM. It provides telemetry and GPS monitoring useful for scoring and, when necessary, a measure of safeguarding. "Two guys are reinstalling my IRI-track right now," said Blais. "They've been working on it almost every day because of problems in tracking the race. It's a lot of hardware and wires, just hope they get it fixed right." Red Bull KTM Team manager, Joe Barker, equated the day to an ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) stage - "It was rough out there and Chris just kept his head and rode safely, rather than trying to beat everyone. This was a marathon stage and any little situation could have been disastrous if he wasn't cool and calm. He's a very smart rider and each day he gives us another glimpse of how good he is." ===================================================== FUNNY STUFF FROM BLAIS - "Today the helicopter was following, and I knew they were rolling video but I really had to pee. Real bad. But I did not want to pee on camera. After a while I just said "Oh the hell with it, I gotta go!" so I pulled over and did my thing. Last year, I would have just let go in my pants but not today. You try to hold it, you try to talk yourself out of having to go but it plays with your head and eventually you gotta give in." ===================================================== Congratulations to American Jonah Street for continuing to prove himself as a future star of the Dakar - (from www.dakar.com) - Jonah Street (USA - KTM - 5th) "Another good day for me on a stage even faster than yesterday¹s, but sometimes a bit dangerous. I stopped when I saw Azevedo on the ground and stayed with him for about five minutes. Except a tiny mistake, I have been almost perfect in navigation. Actually, I improve every day. For me, the rally should last one more week to enter the top 10." ===================================================== Rankings Special: 348 km Stage Results: 1. Sala (Repsol KTM), 05:03:49h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), + 03:12 3. Duclos (KTM), + 03:32 4. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 04:35 5. Street (KTM), + 06:28 6. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 08:05 7. Fretigne (YAMAHA), +08:07 8. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), + 09:59 9. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 11:15 10. Goncalves (HONDA), + 12:40 11. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 16:09 12. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), + 16:17 13. Marchini (YAMAHA), + 17:04 14. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), + 20:05 15. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 23:14 16. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 27:56 17. Algay (YAMAHA), + 28:59 18. Faria (KTM), + 32:03 19. Verhoeven (YAMAHA), + 34:17 20. Bethys (HONDA), + 38:49 Overall Results: 1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 52:09:45 h 2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 52:41:01 h, + 31:16 3. Sala (Repsol KTM), 53:50:25 h, + 01:40:40 h 4. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 54:21:59 h, + 02:12:14 h 5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 55:00:01 h, + 02:50:16 h, Penalty: 01.00:00 h 6. Ullevalseter (KTM), 55:33:13 h, + 03:23:28 h 7. Duclos (KTM), 56:07:17 h, + 03:57:32 h 8. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 57:55:21 h, + 05:45:36 h 9. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), 58:28:53 h, + 06:19:08 h, Penalty: 02:00:00 h 10. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 59:27:45 h, + 07:18:00 h 11. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 59:31:01 h, 07:21:16 h, Penalty: 40:00 12. Vinters (KTM), 59:40:35 h, + 07:30:50 h 13. Knuiman (YAMAHA), 60:12:44 h, + 08:02:59 h 14. Algay (YAMAHA), 60:17:49 h, + 08:08:04 h 15. Czachor (YAMAHA), 60:25:53 h, +08:16:08 h 16. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 60:56:14 h, + 08:46:29 h 17. Street (KTM), 61:40:00 h, + 09:30:15 h 18. Bethys (HONDA), 61:47:37 h, +09:37:52 h 19. Marchini (YAMAHA), 62:33:38 h, + 10:23:53 h, Penalty: 02:00:00 h 20. AgraCarrera (YAMAHA), 63:12:50 h, + 11:03:05 h, Penalty: 13:00 h ===================================================== Tomorrow - Saturday, January 14, 2006 Stage 14 - Tambacounda to Dakar Total distance 634km - 107km transfer - Special test 254km - Liaison stage 273km **********************************************************************
REDBULL-KTM US DAKAR TEAM REPORT - Saturday, January 14, 2006 - by Scott Cox
Chris Blaise in Dakar - Photo by DPPi
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Story by Scott Cox. Photos by DPPI
Stage 14 - Tambacounda to Dakar
Total distance - 634km - Transfer 107km - Special test 254km - Liaison 273km
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IT’S OFFICIAL: BLAIS 4TH OVERALL IN 2006 DAKAR RALLY
SAFELY AT "HOME" AFTER FINAL TIMED STAGE
"Finally, I made it all the way to Dakar safe and sound. I'm so happy right now!" exclaimed an elated Chris Blais #9 from the comfort of his Dakar, Senegal hotel. “There’s nothing like coming off the trail and seeing this place. It was such a relief. Today my goal was to get to Dakar and maintain my position. There was a lot of confusion on the course and most riders were not navigating very well at all. There was a lot of confusion out there. Despres lost a lot of time because of this and Gio Sala, who started the day ahead of me by over 20 minutes, fell off the pace quite a bit. He ended up in 50th place but he’s still just over 6 minutes ahead of me. Looks like he’ll be 3rd on the podium tomorrow.”
STREET SIGNS – Among the tactics that Blais credits his strong 6th place stage 14 finish with is partnering with fellow American, Jonah Street on this last timed portion of the 2006 Dakar. “Jonah and I saw what was happening early in the special test and realized that our best move was to ride together and try to keep each other on course. We scouted around for a while and carefully retraced the route. Eventually, we got back on course, picked up the waypoint and immediately saw a pair of tracks which turned out to belong to Fretigne and Coma. After that we just gassed it to Dakar.”
After 15 days of competition [one day of rest last Sunday] Blais relishes thoughts of hot showers, soft mattresses and the creature comforts we all take for granted. Thoughts of seeing his wife Patty again and boarding a plane for California Monday morning are still a dream. But for now, this California Kid will have to make due with tomorrow’s ceremonial parade lap around Lac Rose and a healthy dose of post-Dakar partying.
DOCTOR’S ORDERS - “Doc [Dr. Jonathan Edwards, US team physician] just bought me a hamburger and fries and I can’t explain how good it tasted to me. I craved a burger for so many days and he came through for me, again.”
“Everything went great for me during this rally,” reflected Blais. “My mechanic Matt Spencer kept my KTM [660 Rallye] going perfectly every day and the entire Red Bull KTM US Dakar team really pulled together to make my finish possible. We have a fantastic team and everyone was responsible for me being here now.”
With his second Dakar Rally behind him, Blais joins a rare fraternity of off-road racers tough enough and smart enough to stay focused for the entire event. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of motorcyclists are capable of a few days of Dakar intense racing just a handful possess what it takes to do . Not only has the 25-year-old completed both of attempts at the mother of all endurance events, he’s finished both of them within the top 10. Most Dakar entrants would give an arm and a leg to say they’d ridden, and survived, every stage of the Dakar. This should serve as solid proof that Blais’ 9th place finish a year ago was no fluke and a manifestation of things to come.
JOE BARKER Red Bull KTM US Dakar team manager - “What a relief! We’re finally in Dakar! Chris has arrived safely and he’s solidly in 4th place overall. [Giovanni] Sala is still about 6 and a 1/2 minutes ahead of Chris but how can begrudge a warrior like Gio from standing on the podium in Dakar? Thanks to our great sponsors Red Bull, KTM, Repsol, Michelin and others, our dream of putting an American on the podium in Dakar is closer than ever before. Can’t wait until next year but now it’s time to celebrate!”
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STAGE FRIGHT - Today started with substantial difficulties for Dakar’s long running veterans, not the least of whom was 2005 defending champ, Cyril Despres #1. Miscues and bad judgment resulted in him struggling to stay on course and losing time to front running heir apparent Marc Coma of the Repsol KTM team.
From www.dakar.com - Yet, navigation difficulties were very real. Especially between CP1 and CP2, where the bike and car classes both had their own difficult moments. The first came 30 kilometers after CP1 when Cyril Despres turned in circles for some 20-minutes. But not Coma nor the others; Blais, Street and Sala for example, who where collectively charged to “make the track.
Cyril Despres #1 (43rd overall in stage 14) - "I had another difficult day in terms of navigation. But my Mum taught me to say "I don’t like spinach" instead of "Spinach is not good". So I will say that I don’t like this road book. Everyting went well until CP1 where I took the wrong track at the exit of a village. It took me 10 kilometers to realize I was not on the good way. I should have made a U-turn, I preferred to look for an off-road short cut, not to lose too much time. I agree navigation has to be difficult, but today, it was a bit too much. There were riders everywhere and I almost crashed into riders hidden in the dust or coming the other way. It is a pity since today’s stage was beautiful. At last, I easily forgot it thanks to the tribute to Fabrizio [Meoni]. It is wonderful what his association is doing here.”
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From www.ktmpress.com - American Chris Blais also make a great job. Due to his sixth place of the today’s special test, the RedBull KTM exponent is now knocking on the podium, only seven minutes outside. . . Today the Dakar met the soul of Fabrizio Meoni, and passed on the terrain assigned by the government to host a new centre of arts and crafts entitled to the unforgettable Champion. There the riders also met the nearest Fabrizio’s friends. The trace of a heart was also included in the race track, as a part of the road.
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Stage 14 Rankings / Special test: 254 km
Stage Results:
1. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 03:16:59h
2. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 00:33
3. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), + 16:59
4. Vinters (KTM), + 22:57
5. Verhoeven (YAMAHA), + 23:54
6. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), + 24:37
7. Knuiman (YAMAHA), + 27:01
8. Varga (KTM), + 27:09
9. Floirac (KTM), + 27:09
10. Lazard (KTM), + 30:08
11. Embro (KTM), + 30:56
12. Rivera (KTM), + 31:08
13. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), + 31:18
14. Czachor (KTM), + 31:19
15. Mora Busquets (YAMAHA), + 31:33
16. Lepan (KTM), + 31:47
17. Bonjean (HONDA); + 31:47
18. Mengus (KTM), + 31:52
19. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 31:57
20. Bethys (HONDA), + 32:42
22. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), + 33:04
31. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 36:38
43. Despres (Gauloises KTM), + 42:46
50. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 49:41
Overall Results:
1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 55:27:17 h
2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 56:40:46 h, + 01:13:29 h
3. Sala (Repsol KTM), 53:50:25 h, + 02:29:48 h
4. Blais (Red Bull USAKTM), 58:03:35 h, + 02:36:18 h
5. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 58:50:04 h, + 03:22:47 h, Penalty: 01.00:00 h
6. Ullevalseter (KTM), 59:22:09 h, + 03:54:52 h
7. Duclos (KTM), 60:11:13 h, + 04:43:56 h
8. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 61:43:38 h, + 06:16:21 h
9. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), 62:21:58 h, + 06:54:41 h, Penalty: 02:00:00 h
10. Vinters (KTM), 63:20:31 h, + 07:53:14 h
11. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 63:21:22 h, + 07:54:05 h
12. Knuiman (YAMAHA), 63:56:44 h, + 08:29:27 h
13. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 64:13:13 h, + 08:45:56 h
14. Czachor (YAMAHA), 64:14:11 h, +08:46:54 h
15. Algay (YAMAHA), 64:15:25 h, + 08:48:08 h
16. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 64:41:44 h, + 09:14:27 h, Penalty: 30:00
17. Street (KTM), 65:30:08 h, + 10:02:51 h
18. Bethys (HONDA), 65:37:18 h, +10:10:01 h
19. Marchini (YAMAHA), 66:29:17 h, + 11:02:00 h, Penalty: 02:00:00 h
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Tomorrow - Sunday, January 15, 2006 – Stage 15 -
Dakar to Dakar
Total distance 110km - 38km transfer - Special test 31km – TIMING CANCELLED - Liaison stage 41km
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Breaking news 10:32pm Dakar, Senegal - Press Release - Because of the dramatic events of the last two days, the final stage Dakar - Dakar, taking the competitors to the podium at Lac Rose, will not be timed.
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