dakar '09

speed has been showing the dakar rally with daily updates. 6:30 est.

 

Versus has been airing also. 3:30 & 6:30 I believe.

 

oops. you're are correct sir. it's versus not speed.

 

looks like a pretty rough one so far with injuries and a death of a bike rider

here's some latest news from Autosport:

The sixth stage of the Dakar Rally has been shortened drastically, organisers announced on Thursday.

The timed stage from San Rafael to Mendoza was originally scheduled to be 395 km long. However, organisers have found an impassable river ford and they have been forced to shorten the special to just 178 km.

Instead of starting at 6:35, the stage will thus start two hours later.

Dakar organisers also said that yesterday's stage had been neutralized, meaning a total of 385 competitors have been authorized to start today's special.

* * * *
Carol

 

I'll never get over the fact that the Dakar is in South America.

Not that I don't like South America (I love it!), but this isn't the Dakar. The organizers are wussies for not holding it where it ought to be.

Sad story about the bike rider. RIP.

 

FWIW, he died of natural causes, not in a crash.

 

oh i think having a terrorists killing racers is a pretty good reason to move to a safer enviroment.

 

As well as 12:30.

Seen almost every highlight so far. Rooting for Jonah Street, who is a privateer in 2nd!! Wahooo!

 

That never happened. There was only a hint at that last year. Simply reroute the rally, no need to switch continents.

 

What do you mean, competitors have been blown to bits by landmines!!!!. And rerouting the rally wouldn't prevent local terrorists. Even a dumb terrorist can read a map.

 

It wasn't about the land mines that they cancelled the last Dakar but an alleged terrorist thread. It wasn't about the Rally overall but about one regional aspect of it. Avoid that country, Africa is big and there are many ways to go to Dakar.

This Argentina rally is nice, but it is no Dakar. And even the real Dakar lost half of its heart when they cut out the Paris part. Shame that.

 

I dont remeber what country it was but I remember just before Dakar '08 the threats were centered around a country that a major part of the Dakar went through. Like others have said it would be very difficult to find another route to Dakar that was logistically reasonable and secure. I too have a problem with the Dakar not ending in its namesake city, but the safety of the participants is everyones primary concern.

 

attiyah dq'd for missing three timing gates. vw in the lead!!!!

 

Kind of an ironic statement about a race where each year at least one participant dies.

 

with great racing in incredible conditions i'm disturbed all anyone is concerned about is politics.

 

Because that "great racing" is an imposter: It is not the Dakar. It is a great rally in South America.

 

I agree. Must be nice but just not the same. I also see your point about it not starting in Paris....but God knows I was happy when Lisboa got the start But alas, that is gone too

 

"a rose by any other name..."

 

There's dunes, there's mud, there's sand. What more do you want?

Besides: this one may be a surprise. The last few years have been predictable: VW starts strong, has problems, and Mitsu takes it at the end. But this year isn't according to the usual script.

Besides, when it's mostly bikes and trucke and SUVs, it's not really "da car" rally, anywho.

 

not really. The Paris Dakar is a special race and it is no longer.

This should be something else, a new era. Personally I think the WRC is more interesting but this should be the Le Mans of WRC (with all of the different classes) now that would be a new start.

 

+1

About one third of its charme was lost when the start was no longer in Paris (nothing like those midnight starts into the New Year).
Another third was gone when we lost Sabine, the race organizer. He and his helicopter was what Branson is today to Virgin Galactic. Pure charisma.
The final third was lost when Dakar was no longer the race's finish line.

It is a bit like the hammer/replica analogy: First we replaced the handle, then the head. It is still called the same and kinda looks the same, but it has nothing left from the original.

 

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_2009_dakar_rally.html