Dakar 2010; halfway point looms
Added on Friday, January 8th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Dakar 2010; halfway point looms
Today will see the Dakar competitors tackle another long stage on the 2010 Dakar Rally, before a rest day. The break this weekend will mark the halfway stage in the Dakar 2010, which takes place in South America, reports Alastair Walker.
The rally is still arguably the ultimate test for any off-road rider, with some 9000 kilometres of dirt roads, rocks and sandy trails challenging the riders of approximately 160 motorcycles. The desert dunes of the Sahara have been replaced by the dry, high altitude emptiness of the Atacama desert in Chile and the remaining sections of the 2010 rally will take place in Argentina.
Some 320 vehicles in total started the rally in Buenos Aires, with 112 officially listed as retired as of yesterday’s close at Stage 6. The overall leader in the bikes section is Cyril Despres, a French rider with many years experience in the event and a former winner. But Despres has a fight on his hands with Chilean rider Francisco Lopez close behind in 2nd place in the bike standings.
Marc Coma is still another contender for victory, with a stage win yesterday, you can never rule out Coma who has a decade of experience in this event. One of the French hopes David Casteau retired from the race on Wednesday after breaking his leg in a fall. Meanwhile, Italian rider Luca Manca has been airlifted to a hospital in Santiago after crashing heavily and fracturing his skull, but otherwise there are no reports of serious casualties this year.
British interest in the event is minimal, but worth a cheer nevertheless. Welsh rider Craig Bounds who finished his first Dakar in 2009 is top Brit on the leaderboard in 63rd place and if others drop out Bounds, who is an experienced enduro and trials rider, could make up 10 or 20 places. If he finishes, Bounds will be the first Welsh rider to ever do so in the Dakar event.
Tamsin Jones, who works at the TRAX off-road centre for young riders in Wales is hoping to be the youngest ever female to complete the event. She has a decent chance, having been trained by Dakar veteran Patsy Quick and spent hours riding with Si Pavey at the BMW off-road centre in South Wales. Tamsin is currently down in 97th place, some 30 hours behind the leaders, and obviously just aiming to finish to raise money for her various charities.
Ahead a little bit in 82nd place is Edinburgh man Paul Carlyle, representing Scotland, who started motorcycling just a decade or so ago. Carlyle caught the Dakar bug after meeting winner Despres at a charity event, and as he does triathalons the 38-year old lawyer should make the finishing line next week.
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