2 of my friends are in west Africa taking part in the Dakar Rally. It has been, as always, a pretty wild time.
For my buddies all news is good news. Or is that no news is good news. We don't have any news except for the standings. Both Charlie and Dave are still in the Dakar as many riders find themselves on the ever growing "withdrawls" list.
After finishing 9 stages Charlie is up to 77th place. He is doing really well from what I can tell. After stage 3 he was 193rd. His brother Dave is 110th.
Sunday is a planned rest day for the riders. No doubt that it will be a very busy day for my #1 riding buddy, and Charlie's main mechanic in Africa, Mike Krynock as he and the mechanics get the KTM's ready for the next 7 stages that will end the 2005 Dakar. Some of the upcoming stages are monster days like stage 12, a long 819 KM (508 mile) day on the bike.
The three big parts of the Dakar are to make it from Europe to Africa, then make it to the rest day, then finish. They've got 2 out of 3 so far.
A few days ago there was a very long day (and night) with rain, wind, a huge sand storm and fuel pit locations that were spread too far apart. Many racers spent the night in the desert waiting for help.
From the Dakar web site here is the story of a young French policewoman riding a 450 KTM in Africa.
Ludivine Puy team:EUROMASTER rider number 035
"The survival instinct takes control!"
Main attraction of the event, Ludivine Puy, 21 years old, has proved during the hardest stage from Zouerat to Tichit that she was more than a pretty blond girl who came on the rally with her personal security corp.
Arrived in Tichit at 6.30 PM on Friday, she spent almost 34 hours on the track. While a lot of riders remained in the sand for good, but not Ludivine. When she heard after waking up at the CP1, that she was still in the race, she found extra motivation in her mind. " I'll never forget this stage. It made me discover new things about myself. Some unknown power. Very few people have the opportunity to live these kind of things".
The 2004 winner of the woman French enduro championship talked about her adventure on the special: "At 7 PM, I was still stopped in the dunes just before CP1. Alone. I stayed there for almost 3 hours, so I began having a nervous breakdown. I couldn't even think at all. And then, suddenly, the survival instinct took control of the body. You're thirsty, hungry, tired, scared... but you forget it all, because you know the only way is to dig... I took the screen off my helmets to dig the sand under my wheels more efficiently and at least I could move the bike, then restarted and followed the car tracks. My battery went flat just before CP1, where I slept with four other competitors in a small tent for three. I was very cold because my jacket was wet. I cried all night, because I thought the race was over for me. But when I woke up someone told me that we were still in race and we had to make it to Tichit then Tidjikja on a liaison. It was what I needed to get my motivation back. With another rider, we rode as a bunch the 450 km to Tichit. Our only stops were to give gas to other riders".
Happy as never, the young police woman, who started biking at 4, wasn't able to stop talking about this horrible stage: "I'm so glad to be here! Now my only goal is to join the whole Euromaster team in Tidjikja. To compete on the Dakar Rally is my oldest dream and this year I had the chance to do it in very good conditions. My teammates are wonderful with me. They have a huge experience and every eve my bike is repaired by the assistance. You can't dream of a better situation. Even, the event is harder than I was thinking". Especially because she can't keep her bike up alone, because of a shoulder operated a few weeks before the start. "But the Dakar deserves to be lived. If I'm doing this race it's first of all to be proud of myself and get more self confidence. A Dakar is worth ten years of enduro, it's priceless. But our main goal now is to get all four members of the team on the podium in Dakar."
First ever woman to achieve the 'Rallye des Gazelles' on a bike, Ludivine wants to become the youngest girl to finish a Dakar. And for that, she can trust her three new "daddies" because it's their main goal too.
Ludivine, I'm a fan!
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