Stage 3 Updates HERE | Stage 4 Updates HERE
Stage 5 Updates HERE | Stage 6 Updates HERE
Stage 7 Updates HERE | Stage 8 Updates HERE
Stage 9 Updates HERE | Stage 10 Updates HERE
Stage 11 Updates HERE |Stage 13 Updates HERE
“LA VIE EN… BLUE”
Overall Summary
The second edition of the Dakar in Latin America finished with a podium and award ceremony where the drivers and teams of 88 bikes, 14 quads, 57 cars and 28 trucks were celebrated. Blue was the color of the day with Cyril Despres winning his third Dakar whilst Argentine rider Marcos Patronelli won in the quad category. In the car category, Carlos Sainz won the rally raid after a tough and close battle with Nasser Al Attiyah. On the truck side, the road was much clearer for Vladimir Chagin, who lined up the records in this year’s edition: he equated the record number of Dakar victories of Karel Loprais with a sixth victory in the truck category.
The wheel is turning… for Despres
TODAY'S ROUTE: JAN 15. 2010 Stage 13:
SAN RAFAEL > SANTA ROSA
12:25 - Car
303 - SAINZ STAYS IN THE LEAD IN THE GENERAL STANDINGS FOR 2’58"!...
The three first cars have just finished today’s specials stage and Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (BMW) is the winner with respective leads of 1’21 and 3’53 over VW teammates Nasser Al-Attiyah (VW) and Carlos Sainz (VW)... Hence, in the general standings, the Spaniard keeps the lead in the general standings but - on the eve of the finish line in Buenos Aires - is only 2’58 ahead of the Qatari... The final victory of this 32nd Dakar will be decided tomorrow in the very last stage!...
Left the Atacama behind
January 11, 2010 - 8:22pm - by Ramses Perez The Copiapo-La Serena Special marked the last day that the Dakar Rally competitors would race on the Atacama Deserts. The special was shortened due to expected bad weather the day before. The Special looped around the west side of Copiapo heading towards La Serena/Santiago. After the special was done the competitors had to travel on a long liaison of 300 plus kilometers of highway driving to the La Serena Bivouac.
Since the finish line was only 30 kilometers away, the media crew decided to go to the finish line and wait for Robby to finish in case there was something wrong and also to take the chance to capture some images and video. Right from the beginning of the stage we heard that Robby had issues. He started 10th and had already lost a few spots in very short amount of time.
Live from Copiapo
January 11, 2010 - 10:36am - by Ramses Perez
We are at the finish line for Stage 9 right now... online tracking says Robby has finished but we haven't seen him yet. There is some distance between the official end and where we are waiting, near the highway.
From what we know the Vanguard Hummer is still out there. Last we heard they were fixing a bent air jack. They had gotten stuck and when they were pulled out, the air jack was damaged.
Earlier in the day, Robby got stuck and the Vanguard Hummer had helped pull him out.
More to come...
COMA’S SPRINT FINISH, AL ATTIYAH CLAWS HIS WAY BACK
The 9th stage of the Dakar was like an exciting sprint finish between the rally favourites. Although the first ten to finish yesterday started side-by-side, Marc Coma was the quickest over the 170-km route. The Catalan picked up the 10th special stage victory of his Dakar career by beating general standings leader Cyril Despres by only 4 seconds.
The stage was shorter but no less difficult for the competitors in the Dakar, with an especially spectacular start side-by-side for the best 10 finishers the day before. They were then followed by the rest of the riders in waves of 20. Very soon, Marc Coma took control, leading the pack over the 170-km route almost entirely made up of the dunes around Copiapo. In the dunes, the Catalan tried to leave the other race favourites in his wake… in vain. In fact, at CP1 (at the 117-km point), it was the general standings leader Cyril Despres who put in the best time, with a lead of only 4 seconds over Coma and 20’’ over Pal-Anders Ullevalseter, now the nearest rival to the French race leader.
Good Start to Second Half: Volkswagen Defends First Three Places
Three "Blues” top the leader board: Volkswagen comfortably defended its first three positions overall on the Dakar Rally’s eighth stage between Antofagasta to Copiapó.
Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) finished second on the day and continue to hold the overall lead by 14 minutes 35 seconds ahead of their team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and 22 minutes 28 seconds in front of Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA).
The rally professionals staged and open head-to-head battle throughout the 472 kilometre long and extremely tough stage through Chile. The official time keeping recorded no less than four changes to the lead. To start, the X-raid BMW drivers Guerlain Chicherit (F) and Stéphane Peterhansel (F) exchanged places up until the mid-point of the stage before Mark Miller assumed the lead for Volkswagen. Then last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) took control of proceedings in the fourth Race Touareg before they were caught by Peterhansel just short of the finish line after suffering their second puncture. Peterhansel, who also complained of a tyre failure, nevertheless moved up to fourth place overall as closest rival to the Volkswagen trio almost two hours behind. After suffering two punctures each Sainz, Miller, de Villiers and Al-Attiyah took second to fifth on the day separated by 3 minutes 32 seconds.
Just can’t catch a break!
January 10, 2010 - 5:47pm - by Ramses Perez
Today we made our way back to Copiapo from Antofagasta. When we arrived in Antofagasta days earlier we spotted a Mc Donald’s! Our plan this morning leaving the Bivouac was to stop by Mc Donald’s on our way back to Copiapo. We parked the car and headed into the restaurant. To our big disappointment the breakfast menu was tiny croissants, a ham and cheese sandwich and a ham and Avocado sandwich. That was it, no Mc Muffins! No Big Breakfasts! No Hash browns! I miss Los Angeles.
The Rest Day, Dakar 2010
January 9, 2010: After 7 Stages of intense competition, Jonah Street holds the 7th place position in the Dakar Rally. The rally is half-way done. The competitors rest while the assistance crews repair and prepare machinery for the second half of this race. Niles Follin and the Rally Pan Am crew will replace Jonah’s engine today as part of their scheduled service.
The 2010 Dakar has, so far, been rough, difficult, and very competitive. Stage 3 was especially tough, eliminating a significant part of the field who failed to finish. Every Stage has challenged the riders with silt, rocks and sand. Rally Pan Am’s Jonah Street has raced the first half of this rally conservatively, keeping his motorcycle and his body intact, avoiding penalties, risks and navigation errors, but keeping up an incredible pace.
Bruised and Battered
January 8, 2010 - 4:35pm - by Ramses Perez
The special between Iquique and Antofagasta was the longest special in the rally. With over 600 kilometers of total driving including short liaisons, this special promised to be one for Robby to gain some time on the leaders.
Robby started the special flying through the slower competitors and quickly found he was leading the special. Robby led the special for about 180 kilometers when all of a sudden the alternator started to fail. The Hummer has two batteries it can use for this type of situation. They can switch from one to the other and keep going. Grider said that they ran almost 130 kilometers switching back and forth until it finally gave out.
DESPRES IS THE BOSS; AL-ATTIYAH ASSERTS HIS POSITION
January 8, 2010: Before the day of rest that the Dakar will be spending in Antofagasta on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, Cyril Despres wins a stage in which Marc Coma has returned to being his fiercest contender in the overall standings. In the car category the day’s stage won by Al-Attiyah also allowed the BMW X-3 of Guerlain Chicherit and Stéphane Peterhasel to reposition themselves in 4th and 5th places in the overall standings. With a sixth stage victory in seven stages, Vladimir Chagin is more than ever THE race leader.
Some stages can represent – alone – several episodes of a race. The stage taking the Dakar contenders to Antofagasta today – with its 600 km of special stage – was precisely a mix of different terrains and led to many events. Marc Coma and Cyril Despres who had started first paid the price – for a while – of their hesitations in a vast sand dunes area. The riders behind them ended up catching up. At the different intermediary check points both two-times winners ended up losing ground and giving opportunities to Ullevalseter (1st at CP1 and CP2), Frétigné (1st at CP4) and Lopez (1st at CP5 and CP6).
The Atacama Desert wins today
January 8, 2010 - 2:33am - by Toyo's Ramses Perez
Inquique is the most northern town we will visit this Dakar Rally. The special today consisted of a 418-kilometer journey that is reminiscent of a high African desert special. Robby was ready and eager to start the special as he felt he could gain time on his rivals and climb on the overall classification.
As I drove up the coast seeing beautiful waves splashing on the side of the rocks, I anticipated a great result from Team Hummer. That changed quickly when the split times started coming in. Robby seemed to be down 12 minutes very quickly into the special. The Vanguard Hummer on the other hand was leading the special. For about 180 kilometers the Vanguard Hummer lead the way as its pilot powered through the desert.
A Leap towards the leader board
January 6, 2010 - 6:49pm - by Ramses Perez
It was one of those times when you are half asleep, but you are not asleep because you know you have to wake up soon. The reality had already set in that as soon as I got up I was going to start sweating. To my disbelief it was a cloudy morning with a nice cool breeze blowing. After yesterday’s special win, this morning continued the uplifted mood at the bivouac.
The racecars departed early this morning to the start line in Copiapo. This special was the longest to date with a total of 670 kilometers of total driving including the liaisons. I had a total 558 kilometers of driving today through some beautiful coastal scenery that kept me entertained. There was color! Blues, whites, greens and no sun! What happened to the reds, browns and yellows and that bright red fire ball?
GORDON Wins Stage 4 by 1 Second!! Moves to 8th Overall/ Miller Maintains 4th Overall while Baldwin Holds the 25th Spot
Click HERE to Listen to Robby Gordon's Winning Interview NOW!!
With a 9th stage victory in the Dakar, Marc Coma regains some ground in the general standings of a race still dominated by Cyril Despres.
In the car category, the desert gave Robby Gordon’s Hummer wings; the US driver wins the stage thanks to a tiny second lead over Stéphane Peterhansel.
Rally raid experience teaches that victories are built in the long run. After losing more than 40 minutes in two days on grounds of penalty and multiple failures of a moody engine, title holder Marc Coma is fighting hard to regain ground in the general standings. The arrival in Chile and the first contact with the Atacama Desert were the playground of Marc Coma’s demonstration of full mastery. After starting 9th today, the Catalan finishes with the best clock of the day after passing by along the trail the likes of Street, Manca and Duclos. Focused and efficient the rider may now see the fruits of his hard work upon arrival. He beat Casteu (2nd) by 2’04’’ and stole 3’14’’ back to Despres (3rd), who was in charge of opening the trail today. In the end the day’s good work pushes Coma up 3 places in the overall standings putting him 6th 36’50’’ behind Cyril Despres.
Behind the top trio the outsiders are still making their presence known. Francisco « Chaleco » Lopez had managed to win in 2009 for the first finish in Chile. Behind the wheel of a 450cc Aprilia enrolled on the Dakar to make a point, the local kid did manage to achieve a very nice 4th place in today’s ranking arriving 5’06’’ after Coma. The top 5 of the general standings remains unchanged with Helder Rodrigues (3rd 23’45’’ behind Despres), Luca Manca (4th at 29’51’’) and Alain Duclos (5th at 38’20’’) who all confirm their intentions to shake up the ‘battle of the chiefs’.
New country, new terrain... the change in environment allows other drivers to make the headlines. Robby Gordon, who probably felt too enclosed on the Argentinean trails with his big Hummer, had the opportunity to open up and let loose the energy he had been containing for a few days. In addition to his talent and speed, the American also seems to be on a good luck streak this year. After 163km of jumps and slaloms around camel grass, he gets the best time of the day with just a one-second lead over Stéphane Peterhansel. The vast landscape must remind him of Mauritania where he had won his first special stage in Zouerat in 2007.
Gordon’s glorious feat is however not yet enough to shake up the struggle for final victory in which Stéphane Peterhansel is still in the best position. Still very much at ease when he is opening the trail, the top BMW X-Raid driver had all intermediary best clocks closely tailed by Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al-Attiyah! If he lets the American get all the honours for the day, “Peter” who is now the sole bearer of his team’s hopes of victory after the withdrawal of Roma, keeps working hard and tidy. He now has a good 7’36’’ lead over Sainz who is his first follower in the standings.
Robby Gordon roars towards the stage 4 win
January 6, 2010 - 1:39am - by Ramses Perez
Special number 4 began in Fiambala, Argentina and finished in Copiapo, Chile. There was an extremely long liaison with dangerous roads and very high altitudes. The pass from Argentina to Chile was long but fun with plenty of switchbacks that made the drive interesting. There are no paved roads, only gravel roads with huge potholes. It was a beautiful sight climbing the mountains and taking in the scenery. We were taken right next to the 2nd highest peak in the Americas reaching altitudes of over 4,000 meters, a dormant volcano. It is very hard to breath up here due to the lack of oxygen. Headaches and pressure in your ears are standard. I still haven’t been able to “pop” my left ear. I can’t hear out of it.
Dakar 2010: Robby Gordon win 4th stage - Peterhansel still leader.
January 5, 2010: Robby Gordon was surprising today - and made "Double Work" for many Press-Officers. After all told about the second Stage-Victory of Stéphane Peterhansel, the US-American "came from behind" and made the victory perfect. For X-Raid´s Stéphane Peterhansel also a great day. He won a great duel between the BMW and Nasser Al Attiyah plus Carlos Sainz in their Volkswagen. Al Attiyah won the Volkswagen-Race - and Peterhansel strengthen his overall lead. "This was a superb performance by Stéphane after starting first on the road," said a delighted team director Sven Quandt.
Dakar 2010: All Volkswagen again in the Top 10 after SS4.
January 5, 2010: All Volkswagen again in the Top 10: Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk achieved third place at the demanding crossing of the Andes on the fourth leg from Fiambalá to Copiapó with a gap of 2:26 minutes behind the stage winners Robby Gordon/Andy Grider in the Hummer and Stéphane Peterhansel from the X-raid team.
Dakar 2010: Team Hummer with problems in the Dunes.
January 5, 2010: Unfortunate circumstances plagued Team Hummer Monday afternoon in the dune sections of Stage 3. The team had first thought that the these set of dunes would be a good stage for the Hummers but due to a smaller restrictor cutting the horsepower down, the Hummers couldn’t carry the momentum needed to get through the heavy sand that was featured during Stage 3.
DESPRES STEALS THE LIMELIGHT, “PETER” RAISES THE STAKES
January 4, 2010: The third stage, marked by mechanical problems for Coma and Frétigné, as well as the withdrawal of Viladoms, was won by Cyril Despres, new leader in the general standings. He now boasts a lead of 10’03’’ over David Casteu. In the car category, Stéphane Peterhansel picked up his 52nd special stage victory on the Dakar and his 19th on four wheels. In the truck race, Vladimir Chagin won his third consecutive stage, picking up the 50th triumph of his career.
Survival is the Key
January 4, 2010 - 5:18pm - by Ramses Perez
Today’s special that started in La Rioja and ended in Fiambala was one of the most difficult specials the drivers have seen in a very long time. It is almost 9 o’ Clock here and only 35 cars have finished the stage.
Team Hummer took a big blow today when only a few kilometers in to the stage a rear driver inflation line ruptured. Andy and Robby were forced to pull over and fix it. After they got going again the roads were very dusty. This province of Argentina is very famous because of its huge beautiful white dunes. These dunes have very strange powdery silt that sticks to everything and is very difficult to see through.
Stephane Peterhansel wins third Dakar Rally stage
January 4, 2010: Team X-raid GmbH’s Stéphane Peterhansel entered the record books by taking his 52nd Dakar Rally stage win in all categories and his 19th in a car on the third 182km special stage between La Rioja and Fiambalá in Argentina on Monday.
The stunning performance catapulted the Frenchman and his co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret into the outright rally lead in their Trebur built-BMW X3 CC. The pair will now take a 4m 33s advantage over Spain’s Carlos Sainz into the fourth stage across the border in Chile on Tuesday, having beaten the two-time World Rally Champion by 5m 44s on the short stage, which featured the first dune crossings and off-road sections of this year’s event.
Dakar 2010: Peterhansel Stagewinner, 3 VW in today´s Top 5.
January 4, 2010: Volkswagen continues maintaining its hold in the group of the front runners on the third leg of the Dakar Rally: Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford with their three Race Touareg cars are ranking in positions two to four at the world’s toughest desert rally. The overall lead was taken by today’s stage winners Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret from the X-Raid BMW-Team, best Nissan was the South-Africa Alfie Cox together with his German Co-driver Juergen Schroeder on 7th position.
Dakar 2010: Carlos Sainz - "This was an extremely hard day"
Jan 4, 2010: "The Dakar Rally started in earnest today" said Volkswagen´s Kris Nissen after the Day. "We knew that as of today things would be getting much more difficult. Nevertheless, we were a little surprised about how difficult it really was and how slow the average speed was on the course. With Carlos Sainz´s second place in front of his team-mates we continue doing well in the race and have every reason to be optimistic."
Results from Rally Dakar 2010 after Stage 1:
1. 501 Vladimir Chagin, Semyon Yakubov, Sergey Savostin RUS Kamaz 4326-9 2:35:47
2. 502 Ales Loprais, Milan Holan, Jaro Miskolci CZ/SK Tatra 815 4x4 + 0:27
3. 500 Firdaus Kabirov, Aydar Belyaev, Andrey Mokeev RUS Kamaz 4326-9 + 4:00
4. 505 Ilgizar Mardeev, Viatcheslav Mizyukaev, Andrey Karginov RUS Kamaz 4326-9 + 9:50
5. 506 Martin Macik, Jan Bervic, Josef Kalina CZ LIAZ 4x4 SP + 10:59
6. 508 Marcel Van Vliet, Herman Vaanholt, G. Van Veenendaal NL Ginaf X2222 SP + 11:25
7. 504 Andre De Azevedo, Jaromir Martinec, Maykel Justo BR/CZ Tatra 815 4x4 + 11:36
8. 510 Marek Spacil, Radomir Smolka, Mila Janacek CZ Tatra 815 4x4 + 14:32
9. 545 Martin Kolomy, René Kilian, Zbynek Kotal CZ Tatra 815 4x4 + 23:41
10. 513 Johan Elfrink, Serge Bruynkens NL Mercedes-Benz Axor 4x4 + 24:17
A Successful Start for Team Hummer
January 2, 2010 - 1:29pm - by Ramses Perez
Today’s special marked the official competitive start of the 2010 Dakar Rally. The special was suppose to feature 251 Kilometers but was shortened by 52 kilometers due to heavy rainfalls earlier this week. The special had a total of 199 kilometers of racing.
Robby Gordon had some issues in the stage. Robby and Co-Driver Andy Grider over shot 3 corners veering off course. They had to go in reverse and get back on track. Loosing seconds means another competitor could pass you and you will be stuck behind dust for miles. Robby finished 6th overall 4 minutes and 48 seconds behind the special winner Nani Roma.
Check out photos on Ramses' Blog >>>
Bivouac Day 1
January 1, 2010 - 9:36pm - by Ramses Perez
After a long and uneventful liaison, Team Hummer regrouped in Colon. The guys will finish regular maintenance work on the racecars to be ready for tomorrow’s stage. The pit area was extremely muddy, so muddy one of the large support trucks sank in the mud. There was also an abundance of bugs and mosquitoes. My legs are all full of bites now. I am not the only one; Kevin from RGM also got hit pretty hard.
We will have an early start tomorrow. Staging will be at 6:30AM for the cars due to long liaisons that await us. I will keep you posted on tomorrow’s stage, as for now I must try to at least get a couple of hours of sleep. It is 2:45 AM and I have to be ready to go by 5:30AM.
Check out pictures on Ramses' Blog >>>
Team HUMMER: Opening Day
Buenos Aires, Argentina (January 1, 2010) – New Year’s Day was filled with emotions rising in anticipation for opening ceremonies of the 2010 Dakar Rally. In the middle of downtown Buenos Aires, more than 300,000 people watched as each driver was introduced. Robby Gordon and his navigator Andy Grider were fan favorites. After Robby Gordon was interviewed about last year’s impressive performance and what he expected for this year, he climbed back into his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER as the announcer said to the thousands of people in the streets “…and now for what you have all been waiting for.” Robby Gordon backed up his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER and jumped over the stage to the crowds delight.
The opening briefing in Buenos Aires gets the Dakar into full move
PHOTO GALLERY
Race director Etienne Lavigne gave a warm welcome to all present competitors and members of their assistance teams and emphasized the purely off-road character of the 32th edition. The route was traditionally introduced by its creator, David Castera, who summarized the key elements. The official map booklet of the rally contains also altitudes of different stages. Especially some of the profiles of the desert stages in Atacama are breathtaking as huge parts of stages may be run in altitudes above 3000 metres. Even after the return to Argentina, there will be a very technical stony special in the Andes, as the stage to San Juan will be run in altitudes above 3000 metres and the two following specials will be mostly run in sand.
TEAM HUMMER: Scrutineering
Buenos Aires, Argentina (January 1, 2010) –Team HUMMER celebrated New Year’s Eve by completing scrutineering. Teams from all over the world gathered at the Buneos Aires convention center to get race vehicles, support and assistance trucks along with press cars inspected for the 2010 Dakar Rally. It was a sight to be seen as Team HUMMER gathered their flight of vehicles and paraded down to the convention center. With Robby Gordon in his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER leading the way, the crowd cheered and awed as he led the team through the streets of Buenos Aires.
The opening briefing in Buenos Aires gets the Dakar into full move
The morning before the starting podium was devoted o the opening competitors' briefing. A set of measures was to be communicated again.
Race director Etienne Lavigne gave a warm welcome to all present competitors and members of their assistance teams and emphasized the purely off-road character of the 32th edition. The route was traditionally introduced by its creator, David Castera, who summarized the key elements. The official map booklet of the rally contains also altitudes of different stages. Especially some of the profiles of the desert stages in Atacama are breathtaking as huge parts of stages may be run in altitudes above 3000 metres. Even after the return to Argentina, there will be a very technical stony special in the Andes, as the stage to San Juan will be run in altitudes above 3000 metres and the two following specials will be mostly run in sand.
30-12-2009 - “Scrutineering” – day 2: Argentina at the heart of the Dakar
When dealing with figures, it is always best to be prudent. Yet, at La Rural the indicators are already indisputable: the Dakar’s presence in Buenos Aires since the start of technical and administrative scrutineering has already given rise to a high number of visits to the areas open to the public. Leonardo Boto, Director of the Argentinean tourism institute, emphasises the success that the Dakar Village has met with: “Since the opening of the village on January 29, we have received 30,000 visitors of which 17,000 were paid admissions. It’s much higher than the figures for last year”. The presentation of the competitors on Avenue 9 de Julio on New Year’s Day should therefore logically beat the mark of half a million spectators, who came 12 months ago to cheer on the competitors. However, for the Argentinean authorities, the Dakar also has an impact at other levels. Enrique Meyer, Argentina’s Secretary of State for Tourism (to the right on the photo) focuses on the positive consequences of the Rally. “The day after the winners’ ceremony last year, our ambassador in Paris received double the amount of calls for tourist information. The Dakar helps to enhance our country’s position and the films of our landscapes, for example, shown on television channels abroad are essential”. But for the Secretary of State the Dakar also serves as an incitement to other sporting ambitions. Discussions to host other international events such as the aerial acrobatics world cup or the Volvo Race are in progress. Once again, the Dakar is showing the way.
30-12-2009 - “Scrutineering” – day 2: Rodrigues hoping for a doubleWinner of the last stage of the Dakar 2009 at Buenos Aires, Helder Rodrigues could be the first winner of a special stage in 2010. The Portuguese rider on his Yamaha 450cc has the machine and skills to shine on the winding tracks of the Cordoba province. “It’s possible,” admits the three-time stage winner (two in 2007, one in 2009) on his visit to scrutineering, “but I’m going to take it easy to start with on this Dakar, I have other goals”. Having finished in fifth place last year, Rodrigues is within his rights to aim higher: “For me, finishing in the first three positions will already be a very good result, but I’m young, I have plenty of time left”. The 30-year old Portuguese rider, on his small cylinder bike, may benefit from the new rules in the bike category. “I reckon that during the first stages, 450cc riders will have the edge over the big KTMs fitted with restrictors. Mind you, it should balance out over the course of the race”.
30-12-2009 - “Scrutineering” – day 2: Continuous assessmentsThe pre-race formalities and procedures will carry on right through the day for the riders and crews enrolled for the 32nd edition of the Dakar. During scrutineering, the competitors’ administrative documents are checked in the finest detail, just like the vehicles, by the race stewards. The bikes, quads, cars and trucks are also fitted with all the safety and navigation equipment required for the race (Iritrack, Sentinel, GPS, beacons, etc.). Throughout these three days of scrutineering, the assistance, organisers’ and press vehicles are also summoned for examination. Today, 76 bikes, 7 quads, 61 cars and 28 trucks will be in attendance at La Rural, the exhibition centre located at the heart of the Argentine capital. In total, 250 vehicles are expected here today.
29-12-2009 - IT ALL STARTS AT LA RURALThe 32nd edition of the Dakar is already a reality for the first competitors, mainly North and South Americans, who underwent scrutineering. After these three days of gathering and formalities the riders and crews will get to grips with the first stage on New Year’s Day.
It is a time for renewing acquaintances, telling tales of journeys and exciting events as well as speculating on how the race will unfold. The Dakar scrutineering is a grand pre-race meeting that always takes place in a relaxed atmosphere, underscored by the necessary amount of concentration to look ahead to the 14 days of racing as well as the 9,000 kilometres of roads, tracks and dunes that await the contestants. The competitors who discovered the Americas last year also renewed acquaintance with Buenos Aires. Many of them went to pick up their vehicles at Delta Dock, the port of landing located around one hundred kilometres from the Argentine capital. They then headed to the La Rural exhibition centre, which is playing host to technical and administrative scrutineering like in 2009… as well as the winners’ ceremony in which everyone hopes to participate in a little more than two weeks’ time.
Since scrutineering will be taking place over three days, the North and South American competitors were the first to be summoned. Many Argentineans and Chileans put their machines to the test, awaiting the verdict from the race stewards. Amongst them, Marcos Patronelli, 2nd in the quad category in 2009, represents a sound hope for victory from the land of the sky blue and white flag. For this first day, he can already lay claim to the title of winner in the competition for the most interviews and autographs. American Jonah Street, a stage winner last year, won the booby prize for having left his driving licence in his hotel on the other side of the city. Fortunately for him, this navigational error will not be costly this time…
In total, a hundred vehicles were admitted to the scrutineering enclosure, which they will leave on Friday to tackle the first stage. Whilst it was possible during this half-day at La Rural to bump into Cyril Despres and David Casteu, both on early reconnoitring visits, or to meet the entire BMW X-Raid team for a press conference, the leading lights of the discipline will be in attendance on Wednesday and Thursday. Already tomorrow, pretenders to the crown such as David Frétigné in the bike category or Robby Gordon in the car race are expected at the scrutineering circuit.
29-12-2009 - “Scrutineering” – day 1: Street out on the… streetOn this first day of scrutineering, it was a case of “now you see me, now you don’t” for Jonah Street, one of the rare Dakar stage winners present today. The drowsy American’s visit to the race stewards was over in a flash because he had forgotten his driving licence. He had to hit the streets and make a quick trip back to his hotel in the centre of Buenos Aires to retrieve the precious document. A first, admittedly minor, mishap for the KTM rider, who claims to be in exactly the right frame of mind for this new edition in South America: “Last year, I started the rally even though I had an injured wrist”. This did not stop him from winning the 5th special stage in San Rafael, though he did go on to withdraw from the race after the rest day. “I’m back and on top form. I’ve had an operation on my wrist. My aim is to win! Isn’t that what all the bikers want at the start…?”
