Dakar 2015

[Glass]

Its day 3 of the 2015 Dakar. One of the highlights of the year for me.

This year looks like it's going to be very tough. Similar to maybe 4 year ago. Heat seems to be the major thing. They are racing in temps around 105 - 115F/42+C.

Some very serious incidents so far, people collapsing, cars burning to nothing. One car had their laminated windscreen separate. 100mph in 113F temps.

If it keeps going as brutal as this I'm not sure anyone will finish. I think these high temps are very unexpected.

[Ponce]

Uyyyyyyyyy uyyyyyyyy UYYYYYYYYYYYYY, nice warm weather for me......where is that?.

Ponce <--------- packing his bags and ready to to....."I Heaven is cold, I'd rather go to hell".

V

[crimethink]

Uyyyyyyyyy uyyyyyyyy UYYYYYYYYYYYYY, nice warm weather for me......where is that?.

Ponce <--------- packing his bags and ready to to....."I Heaven is cold, I'd rather go to hell".

V

Despite it being called "Dakar," it's now in South America. "The religion of peace" forced it to move to South America from North Africa.

[Glass]

Unfortunately yesterdays stage 3, 7th Jan claimed the life of Polish rider Michal Hernik. It is unclear what happened as he didn't appear to have an accident. He was found 30 minutes after the alarm was raised only a few miles from the finish but off course.

It was blisteringly hot and a lot of competitors had to be rehydrated on the course. They showed a couple who collapsed and it looked very serious to me. Things might have turned out better if they could have found him sooner. It might have been some time before they even realised there was a problem.

very sad.

Stage 4 today (which was yesterday) was into Chile and up 5000 meters. into the cold and thin air, another kind of tough racing.

[Glass]

two days to go and I think this has been the most brutal Dakar that I have seen. The conditions have been from 115F/50C temps to snow to all day rain storms. They did a stage across a massive salt lake in torrential rain. Hours riding through the salt water killed a lot of bikes. A few rookies are going to get podiums in their class. Very impressive new talent this year. Old school are still on their game but you can sense a changing of the guard is upon us.

I've been really surprised by the tough conditions. I think any one who got past the first stage has done something impressive.

[Glass]

well 2016 was even more brutal than 2015. Days spent high in the desert mountains. Low oxygen and 40C heat crushed a lot of participants.

There were I think 2 stage cancellations due to weather - excessive heat one day and rain on another that turned the high lands into mud pits.

Congratulations to Toby Price from NSW who won the Bike class of this years Dakar. Well done. 1st Aussie to win in any Dakar. 2nd year in the event. They are saying he could be another master of the race like Cyril Depres and others. Depres has moved from bikes to cars. I think this year was his 3rd Dakar on 4 wheels.

Comimserations to Loeb who rolled his peugeot fairly convincingly. Amazing to see the time lapse of that re-build.

Peterhansel wins 12th Dakar. Bloody amazing. Enough said.

A couple amazing crashes, especially by Goncalves...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly_fbuXOEyk

Lucky man.

19 women were in the race this year. Motorcycles, cars etc. Well done. I think one placed inside the top 30 of bikes. Low 20's IIRC