Dakar
Team Honda Europe final report
Team Honda Europe is in Buenos Aires Last night the team arrived in Buenos Aires. The riders went ahead of the servicecrew, who were right behind them. 100 KM befor Buenos Aires the highway was full of people, cheering the riders and the crew.
Edited: Jan 19, 2010, 2:27 AM
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Team Honda Europe is in Buenos Aires
Last night the team arrived in Buenos Aires. The riders went ahead of the servicecrew, who were right behind them. 100 KM befor Buenos Aires the highway was full of people, cheering the riders and the crew. Arriving at Parc Ferme was hardly possible, even more people than last year decided to visit the city and celebrate the event. For 20 km the riders had to find their way through the crowds standing on their bikes. It is a great start of the ceremony today, on suday the 17th of january in Buenos Aires.
Team Honda Europe has had an exiting Dakar, tough but rewarding. We are happy to be able to take all the riders home with us. Also Mirjam Pol who was taken out of the race by the medical team was able to stay with the crew and visit the finish of the last special. It was a very good Dakar, with a lot of challenges for both the riders and the servicecrew. And it was a beautifull Dakar in Agentine and Chile where the spectators are everywhere cheering even the most exhausted participant to the finish.
Christopher Jarmuz has finished as 27, which is a good result. It was difficult for him. He wanted to win so badly that he rode too fast sometimes, losing track of the roadbook or crashing in difficult terrain. In the second week he decided to ride 'like I always do', which was a recipe for high scores and a good ranking.
Gerben Vruggink has been saying 'I won't go again' for days but he enjoys every minute. Finish as 44th in the overall ranking on his first Dakar he made a statement. Oh, and we almost forgot his broken wrist during training, a month before Dakar. He rides a constant pace and keeps the bike in one piece (as far as possible on Dakar). Only a broken chain, that was about it. Gerben still had to fight, with the stones and the dust. Those parts of the race were the toughest, the sand and navigation went very well.
Patrick Trahan managed to finish Dakar for the first time at 55 in the ranking. He had good and bad days following each other. After his crash at 120 km/h, which he survived with only bruises, he rode a little slower. The mechanics fixed the bike and Patrick decided to take it much easier, and keep his thoughts with the finishline. That helped him to finish Dakar 2010, as the only Canadian to finish this year.
Tonny Krabbenborg and Aloys Ressing (77 & 78) called themselves the 'old men'. At home we decided that did not fit their results, so we renamed the duo to 'the positive guys'. Each day they finished, at about the same place in the ranking. No matter how tough a stage was, no matter how long. They went through situations others would give up on. Having the calmth to keep on and ride as fast as possible as safe as possible ment they could finish this Dakar. And we have the story of the 13th stage, in which Tonny's engine burst on the connection and Aloys pulled his bike to the finish. Almost. As Aloys engine overheated they had to push their bikes into the bivouac, cheered by the spectators but totally exhausted.
Mirjam Pol has won the 'I won't give up'-class. Quite early in the race she crashed hard several times and injured her back and legs. With the thelp of Wolter, our teamdoctor she managed to stay on the bike. Changing place 1 and 2 with Annie Seel in the lady's ranking she rode quite well. The question for Mirjam was 'when do you stop?'. Luckily she did not have to answer it herself, as she was taken out of the race by the medical team after another crash in which she probably broke a rib. "I think most of the injuries are the result from the crashes earlier in the race, the last one did not add that much to it". As she had a broken rib and injured spine she has shown not to give up easily.
Today the riders will finish Dakar in Buenos Aires on the stage. Tomorrow the bikes and gear will be brought to the ferry. The Dutch delegation will return home on tuesday.
-source: team honda eu
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