Dakar
Dakar: De Rooy teams stage seven report
DAKAR Rally completely disordered January 07, 2005 "I gave my last fuel to Jan" Midnight. Kabirov made it to the finish after 11.43.02 hours, followed by Hans Bekx with a delay from 1.29.11 hours. The Dakar Rally has never been as tough as ...
Edited: Jan 9, 2005, 4:36 PM
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DAKAR Rally completely disordered
January 07, 2005
"I gave my last fuel to Jan"
Midnight. Kabirov made it to the finish after 11.43.02 hours, followed by Hans Bekx with a delay from 1.29.11 hours.
The Dakar Rally has never been as tough as this year. After only 4 days in Africa the Rally lost already more than 100 competitors including 12 trucks and we still don't know how many competitors will reach the bivouac in Tichit before tomorrow morning.
At the end of this Thursday only 38 motor bikes and 8 cars made it to the finish. The organization was forced to postpone the briefing that was set for tonight at 09.00 p.m., to tomorrow morning 8.30 a.m.
Sports Director Patrick Zaniroli also decided to cut down the special to Tidjika from 520 to 130 kilometres; the remaining 480 will be a liaison. Also the start has been put off to a later time.
The reason; Foul weather conditions with sand storms between Zouérat and Tichit. 7 out of 9 helicopters had to stay on the ground at checkpoint 2 after 397 kilometres because of the storm.
The uncertainty even might get bigger for the organization of the Rally. Hugo Duisters, who did a terrific rally until now, reported after checkpoint 2 that many of the competitors were running out of diesel caused by the shifting sand and the camel grass. "I gave my last fuel to Jan. I'm afraid that also Gerard will run out of diesel," reports a tired Duisters.
At eleven o'clock only Kabirov had made it to the finish. The horrible stage from Zouérat to Tichit took him almost 12 hours. Briefly for midnight follow the strongly driving Hans Bekx with a delay of 1.29.11 hours at the Kamaz-pilot.
An unpleasant situation for the Team Gauloises de Rooy. They had a terrific day until now. Kabirov was fastest at checkpoint 2 after the breakdown of the leader Vladimir Tchaguine who was up in the clouds yesterday because of his first place and his birthday. He suffered serious mechanical problems after 300 kilometres. Gerard de Rooy was second at checkpoint 2 at 16 minutes. Tatra pilot De Azevedo followed at 25 minutes behind the Russian, Bekx at 45 minutes and Hans Stacey at 50 minutes. Jan de Rooy, who had some problems with the front of his truck after a dune jump, was 8th at checkpoint 2, 1.15 hour behind Kabirov, immediately followed by Hugo Duisters who needed just 8 minutes more. Tchaguine passed the checkpoint 4.30 hours after Gerard de Rooy, Loprais followed at almost 6 hours.
The chaos couldn't have been illustrated better than by these crazy differences in the running score of this stage. Now it's waiting whether the overtaxed teams have sufficient fuel to reach the bivouac.
Also the assistance vehicles are suffering. Dick Spruijt, navigator from the 6x6 assistance truck, told that the service vehicles (on their way to tomorrow's bivouac at Tidjika) had a lot of problems in the dunes. As well the 4x4 jeep as the 6x6 got stuck in the sand. They decided to get some sleep and to go on early tomorrow morning at sunrise. They still have 1,100 kilometres to go!!!
Luckily the rally trucks won't miss the assistance trucks as service is prohibited during a marathon stage . . . .
To be contineud . . . . .
-de rooy-
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