DAKAR 2022

Have 2 friends and 1 acquaintance taking part this year.

Ross Branch on the bikes for I think 3rd time now (won a stage last year). Total party animal, professionally sponsored racer.
John Kelly very good friend of mine...First time we met was me on my then new quad and him on his bike, I just moved to Botswana several weeks prior. Incredibly friendly family. Obviously bonded strongly over all things motorized and he quickly expressed his life dream is to participate in the Dakar one day...well here he is! Funded by himself and only competed on his own dime in small races. Aim is to finish!

acquaintance Brian Baragwanath in the cars. 2nd time in cars this year I believe, competed twice on quads as well (on which he's ridiculously fast on, when he stil raced those professionally he had an actual muscle on his thumb, as if he had grown a bicep there)

 

It's on the Olympic Channel.

 

One car, an assistance vehicle, had a bomb put in it, it exploded Thursday before the start, the driver may lose his legs, he is already back in France in hospital kept under artificial coma. Google Philippe Boutron. The Saudis are trying to hush it up. The others in the car are ok.

 

AP picked the story up.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Sports/wireStory/french-anti-terrorism-prosecutors-probe-dakar-rally-blast-82073697

nobody seems to have claimed responsibility so perhaps a freak accident?

 

Many terrorist explosions come with no subsequent claim. Certainly it wasn't a huge bomb but it remains a terrorist act; if the French govt anti terrorist agency decided to launch a probe then it was not a car malfunction or a prank at all.

Here the co driver who was in the car tells the story of how it happened (in french but Google translate is at hand) it was absolutely an explosive device planted in the vehicle. The Saudis just want to bury this, typical.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Rallye-raid/Actualites/Le-copilote-de-philippe-boutron-blesse-dans-une-explosion-jeudi-avant-le-depart-du-dakar-temoigne/1308325

 

Ross Branch 2nd behind Danillo Petrucci yesterday....not bad going!

 

Petrucci dropped it on the stage today, causing a mild injury, but right after him Ross made the same mistake and looks like he's broken his leg. Last year his engine failed near the end.

Lets hope for a quick recovery. The amount of work these guys put in to prepare for the dakar is frankly insane. Such a shame to end it this way.

 

The classic category is on its 2nd year and looks like tons of fun

 

Early reports of Ross Branch breaking his leg has been false, he was transported to hospital for checks but he's back on the bike today. Mighty sore, though.

 

Husqvarna factory rider Skylar Howes is a cool guy. I did some rally training on my KTM with him and a group of other pro riders in Moab last year. Super nice guy and he has worked so hard to get this factory ride. He was with BAS KTM before.


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Skyler ended his Dakar early with a major crash on stage 5. He’s flying home now. Poor guy.


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That's really cool! The prep these guys put in is incredible, especially at the top. Ross for example did 2 hour cycling daily before hopping on his dirtbike and drives at race pace for who knows how long. Many races world wide for him last year. I know Ross Branch quite well, when I lived in Botswana I used to ride with him every now and then and went to loads of events with him...really cool guy.

John Kelly is a private entry and one of my best friends. Holds a normal job so doesn't have the time to prepare as much as the pros but his timing is remarkably consistent so far. His goal is to finish, so far it's looking good! His dad is there to support him. Always been his dream to race Dakar so his dad is very pleased to experience it with him!

That really sucks. Ross dropped it on Stage 6 first 2km, same place as Petrucci did but in a more unfortunate way. Was send to hospital checks as they thought he broke his leg but it was just heavy bruising. He completed stage 7 in a very quick time all things considered, but he has now retired on medical grounds, bleeding in the muscles his wife told me.