Dakar

Dakar: Vicus van Deventer, Bombardier stage two report

Vicus van Deventer in good position after first test. Vicus van Deventer on a DS 650 Baja Bombardier is in second place in the Experimental Class in the 2003 Telefonica Dakar Rally. The ice is broken and things are getting in to full swing. Stage ...

Edited: Jan 6, 2003, 12:54 AM

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Vicus van Deventer in good position after first test.

Vicus van Deventer on a DS 650 Baja Bombardier is in second place in the Experimental Class in the 2003 Telefonica Dakar Rally. The ice is broken and things are getting in to full swing. Stage two consisted of a 43km special stage which was very technical and difficult enough to take its toll on one of the car competitors who rolled and badly damaged his car, Eric Verhoef from the Netherlands took a heavy tumble from his motorcycle.

The skinny Lichtenburg farmer had no problems along the route, but he approached the stage with great care to ensure that he stands a better chance to take on the other quads in the dunes and the desert sand where it matters. There is no doubt that Van Deventer is in a class of his own, but it seems that his main rival will definitely be the 850cc Yamaha Fir Blade, the only quad who managed to beat Vicus today.

The quad was well suited for today's terrain with rocky tracks and tight corners, here the A-Frame shock absorber system would have dampened a lot of the shock which is transferred to the arms and body of the rider.

When we go out into the desert, the Bombardier will come to its full potential with the four-stroke Rotax engine giving it the grunt, which every racing driver always have too little of in his race-car. Van Deventer is currently 99seconds behind the first place rider and he leads the next competitor, Jordi Gaig Sarda, who races a similar DS 650 Bajaj Bombardier, by 24 seconds.

Tomorrow's stage is only 8km long, the shortest on this event, but it can already have an influence on the positions, as the entire route is on the beach in soft deep sand. Considered by many to be a very tough stage.

With the large contingency of South Africans on the race, Van Deventer at least come into contact with people, but he also has spare parts available, should he encounter any trouble, which should enable him to focus on the riding job at hand, which was not possible in the past.

-www.bombardier.co.za

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