Jonah calls in from San Juan, Argentina after finishing second on the day's stage, three seconds back from Frans Verhoeven.  Although the rally hasn't gone exactly the way the team hoped, today's performance highlights what they're capable of.  Jonah remains firmly within the top ten overall with three stages to go.


The call drops out, which I apologize for.  Better launch some more satellites next year. :-)

Another victim of the now-infamous Stage 3, Don Hatton calls from Santiago, Chile with a bit of insight as to how his rally went (or didn't).  We've followed Don from his first attempt at the Dakar, the canceled 2008 edition, through his hard crash last year, to a rally this year that started with his bike nearly burning in Parc Ferme and a missing time card on stage 1.  I hope your persistence is able to see you through in the long run, Don!  

If you've ever wondered what it would be like as a "regular guy" to enter Dakar, here's your reality check. Garry Connell rings in with a brutally honest look at what it's like.

Jonah Street calls from the bivouac after Stage 6 of the 2010 Dakar Rally.

Rally PanAm team manager Robb McElroy gives us an update on Jonah's rally.  Thanks, Robb!

Ludo Boinnard calls from the bivouac after a day that saw him presumably retired with mechanical problems.  Fortunately time heals all wounds, in this case even mechanical ones, and he was able to complete the stage!

You'll remember this one forever, Ludo. We all will!

Craig Bounds calls in from the blustery bivouac after stage 3 -- a seemingly benign stage on paper that ended up being one of the most grueling in recent memory.  There is a lot of wind noise, but as you'll hear, one needs to wear goggles because of the blowing sand -- we shouldn't complain!

Congrats on surviving the stage, Craig.  Keep it rolling.

Don Hatton calls in with two stories; the first, how he nearly had his bike burned in the Parc Ferme conflagration, and the second, of his Stage 1 trials which included forgetting his time card and very nearly being pitched from the Rally (twice!).  Enjoy!

Hope things smooth out, Don!

Ludo Boinnard, racing in a team alongside David Casteu and Mike Pisano, gets our call ins kicked off before the ceremonial start in Buenos Aires.


Bonne Chance, Ludo!

The prep work is in the books, and competitors are about to take the start.  Watch live, via this link from Argentinian TV...



(Link expired. Hope you enjoyed it!)

Dakar 2010 is nearly here, and with the changes to the rulebook, we look forward to what could be the most wide-open competition in recent memory.  How that all plays out, of course, remains to be seen.

 

Here is an excellent interview with Cyril Despres and Marc Coma with commentary on the restrictor for the bikes larger than 450cc's, as well as their thoughts on racing in South America.  Video posted by KTM.

 

Part 2 of JennyMo's post-event wrap up. Splendid stuff, Jenny. Thanks for letting us ride "Inside the Helmet" on this year's Heroes.

A coffee-deprived JennyMo rings in from the Madrid airport at oh-dark-thirty with her post-event wrap up. Splendid stuff, Jenny. Thanks for letting us ride "Inside the Helmet" on this year's Heroes!

Incredible. If you've ever wondered what the Heroes Legend was really like, or thought that it might be a "tourist trip" along the old Dakar route, listen in and think again.


"Mr. Yamaha" dropped in after Rallye Maroc and checked out the new generation Tenere. Wonder if we'll see some of the big boys at the Heroes next year...?


Hope to hear from you at the Pink Lake tomorrow, Jenny!.

Safely through the no-man's land and across the border into Mauritania, Jenny rings in as they prepare to tackle the monster dune stages ahead. The Desert Rose riders are doing well, and as often goes for support crews during rallies, they've adopted some new hangers-on.

Jenny's loving the Tenere and is finding it an excellent companion in the desert.

Jenny rings in from the Atlantic coast of Morocco, after having secured 3rd position on today's stage! Way to go, Jenny!

Jenny calls in before the start, 8 days into the rallye. Still in Morocco, they've a long way to go yet. I think she's got the knack of this call in thing -- what do you guys think?

Jenny rings in after a brutal day on the piste in Morocco. Mick has crashed out with a hard concussion, and is currently in hospital with injured vertebrae. Clive (Patsy's husband) cut his hand. Jenny lost rear wheel bearing at 60km/h and took the caliper bracket with it, which she thought would take her out of the rally but thank heavens for the service crew (who had their own troubles!).

Hopefully the days ahead will be a bit more kind, as they're only about 1/4 through the event so far!

---

Jenny's rung in with her first call-in. The weather's thrown them a curveball thusfar, but the tone of her voice says she's having a grand time.

Cummo chats with ADV Inmate Rick Hatswell whose Dakar plans for this year are in dire jeopardy after breaking his leg on the Rallye yesterday. In fact, if you'd like, you can buy a ready-to-go package for El Dakaro in January...

Rick sounds in better spirits than I'd expect to be...

David Dickinson catches us up to speed as well as sharing a "day in the life" on the rallye. For those who wondered why he wasn't show on the starting list today, he explains that as well.

Good luck tomorrow, David!

Cummo tracks down Sherco pilot Philippe Jacquet to hear how development of the Sherco Rallye Bike is coming along. KTM 690 pilot Stephane Hamard also fills us in on his experiences thusfar.

Cummo on the phone with quad rider Lionel Laine, who is leading the Overall Cross-country rallye standings for the year.

Don Hatton on the line with a report from Day 2.  Sad news in the bivouac as two event staff are killed in an accident on the piste, with others injured.  Don's had a rough go of it but is still hanging in there, while ADV inmate Rick is out with a broken leg.  Don's hoping tomorrow's terrain suits him and the 690 Enduro better than the first two days.


Rick, hope you're back to fighting shape by Dakar...!

David's left word from the sweltering bivouac after the first day's stages. Like Don, his mechanics were delayed at sea and so getting through scrutineering was a bit of a crunch. Hopefully they don't have too much to attend to tonight.

He's looking forward to faster, longer stages tomorrow.


Thanks, David!

An upbeat Don Hatton calls in after scrutineering. They had a bit of a challenge as the bike and team were delayed at sea due to a storm, then needed to rectify some wiring issues, but all is well now and he's looking forward to getting on with things tomorrow.

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Our man on the scene, Cummo, catches up with rallye circuit regular Pal Anders Ullevalseter, of Norway. As a perennial front-running privateer, Pal Anders fills us in on his plans for the Dakar this year and gives some thoughts on the 690/450 debate.

David Dickinson rings in from Marrakesh on the eve of the Rallye. From his post on Adventure Rider:

I'm in - (No 17) and also being supported by Patsy's Desert Rose Racing. Looking forward to meeting the Canadians and the one other Brit in this essentially French race.

I've not had great preparation with my Enduro bike being stolen in May (don't ask )!! and me not managing to replace it until late August. I don't suppose riding my 990 R all summer counts for much. Still I'm really looking forward to it, an English description of the route is here:

http://www.npo.fr/maroc2009/pdf/CP5-MAR09-230909EN.pdf

The main site for the Event is here, they may have a tracking feature once the Rallye starts:

http://www.npo.fr/maroc2009/

And if you fancy supporting the charity I am doing it for please visit this site:

http://www.justgiving.com/David-Dickinson/

Many thanks

David



Good luck, David!  Can't wait to hear more updates on the rally.

Mick finds himself not at all where he expected to be half way through his 1000-mile C90 ride, in the hospital after an off.


Get well, Mick!

Mick is off on another 1000 mile ride to raise funds for another good cause, this time on a diminutive C90.  He's making steady progress early in the ride.

John Bouwknegt rings in with his impressions on the inaugural Yilgarn Rallye, which proved every bit the challenge (and maybe then some) that competitors expected.  Well done, John!

Garry regales us with the tale of the Yilgarn IronMan -- a competitor who rode his 950se to the event, offroad, and then home again via the same route in time to make it to work again the next day.  Hardcore.

Garry calls in with the comprehensive event report.  Absolutely incredible effort getting this event organized from the ground up, Garry.  Hopefully the first of many successful years and rallies to come!  Your fellow rallye enthusiasts owe you a debt of gratitude.

The quad boys are starting to get into the nav rallye scene, and Garry chats with one of them after the event.

Garry Connell, event organizer for the first annual Yilgarn Rallye in Western Australia, rings in with an overview of the event and some last minute news regarding a necessary change to the format.