2017 DAKAR rally...wtf...!!!

[robson]

The Dakar is designed so that not everyone finishes. It is tough. They don't want unfit, unproven riders like me turning up. That have a responsibility to make sure entrants have some ability. Hence the qualification.

It really isn't a group of loaded Hoo-Ray Henries having jolly japes in the desert. (Anymore).

I understand Dakar has changed a lot since the beginning, they want to minimize chances of fatal accidents which still happen from time to time. Bad image for the event.
Anyway when I see sometimes so basic riding mistakes it's just hard to believe they have practiced enough before the race

[OnHellas]

You're right about seemingly basic riding errors. But it's very tough mentally and with the altitude they go up to.......I can't begin to imagine how tough it is. All of the riders are bloody good riders, the speed that the slowest go at hour after hour is amazing.

I am in Bolivia at the moment and just walking up a hill is much harder than normal. (Unless there's a cake shop at the top). We are looking forward to descending in a day or two.

It appears that last years winner, Toby Price, is out today with a broken leg.

[P4ulie]

Anyway when I see sometimes so basic riding mistakes it's just hard to believe they have practiced enough before the race

Personally I can ride hard terrain for hours a day in 40 degree heat, service a bike all evening, sleep 3 hours in a tent, pack & do it all again almost indefinitely, never making a single error.

My name is Robson...I am a god walking among mortals :whistle:

[-Ralph-]

Been following Eurosport, YouTube and search Red Bull TV for Daily Dakar which is about 15 minutes each day.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[bond_yzf]

Toby price is out after an off

[bond_yzf]

The Dakar is designed so that not everyone finishes. It is tough. They don't want unfit, unproven riders like me turning up. That have a responsibility to make sure entrants have some ability. Hence the qualification.

It really isn't a group of loaded Hoo-Ray Henries having jolly japes in the desert. (Anymore).

I understand Dakar has changed a lot since the beginning, they want to minimize chances of fatal accidents which still happen from time to time. Bad image for the event.
Anyway when I see sometimes so basic riding mistakes it's just hard to believe they have practiced enough before the race

You really are a bellend (thumbs)

[-Ralph-]

Anyway when I see sometimes so basic riding mistakes it's just hard to believe they have practiced enough before the race

Personally I can ride hard terrain for hours a day in 40 degree heat, service a bike all evening, sleep 3 hours in a tent, pack & do it all again almost indefinitely, never making a single error.

My name is Robson...I am a god walking among mortals :whistle:

Took his NC700 across the Moroccan desert on TKC80's. Didn't you know?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[P4ulie]

If I remember correctly Ralph with literally no wear to the tyres....proof that Robson is so good he literally floats the bike along?

Dakar seems to be a bit more fun this year or is it just me?

[Emf#53]

Anyway when I see sometimes so basic riding mistakes it's just hard to believe they have practiced enough before the race

Personally I can ride hard terrain for hours a day in 40 degree heat, service a bike all evening, sleep 3 hours in a tent, pack & do it all again almost indefinitely, never making a single error.

My name is Robson...I am a god walking among mortals :whistle:

I followed the Dakar a couple of years ago - mostly on road, stopping off to watch at various sections.

Got to Iquique in Chile after about 5 days riding and the plan was to ride from there into Bolivia but decided to stay in Iquique instead (weather forecast in Bolivia was bad and the hotel I was in was very nice ) and watch them do the final dune descent to the bivouac which is just amazing.

I was glad of the rest as just riding in the searing heat/cold and at altitude for days on end was tiring me out - and I was just plodding along on the road!! Not tearing up and down mountains/through the desert etc like the participants.

One evening in the hotel I got chatting to a bloke who was wearing 'Yamaha team clothing'. He looked pretty relaxed and fresh, I asked him if was with the rally - turns out he was riding for the Dutch Yamaha team and at that time was in 17th place! He looked a lot fresher than I felt and he'd just done 5 days of pretty hard core riding!! The people that do this are amongst the best in the world - not only do you have to be incredibly physically fit but also mentally as well. Yes you can pay for the best equipment and the best support team - but you can't buy the sort of mental toughness that you need to have to complete a Rally like this - to keep going for hours and hours on end - to pick up your bike out of the sand at midnight for the 15th time in the last 30 mins - the distances they cover are just staggering!

I'm very lucky to have seen the rally first hand in both Africa and South America and I'm in awe of what these blokes and girls do.

[catcitrus]

If I remember correctly Ralph with literally no wear to the tyres....proof that Robson is so good he literally floats the bike along?

Dakar seems to be a bit more fun this year or is it just me?

I have a suggestion--perhaps we should generate a crowd fund for Robson so that he can enter the Dakar--and of course we will expect him to win it first time out