Dakar Rally

[McTavish]

Go TP !!

[Bird]

should be good!!!

Australia's endurance motorcycle racing world-beater Toby Price will begin his campaign to win a second consecutive and third overall Dakar Rally crown on Sunday.

Price, 32, famously won last year's iconic event off a less than ideal preparation when he broke his wrist in the lead-up to the race, which was hosted in South American nation Peru.

The Queenslander suffered tremendous pain during the already arduous race but remarkably won the gruelling event.

This year's race is being held in Saudi Arabia for the first time and will run from January 5-17 across 7856 kilometres, starting in the capital Jeddah, then heading south to Wadi Al-Dawasir before finishing in Qiddiya, an entertainment and tourist "mega-project" that only started being built in early 2019.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/motorsport/toby-price-begins-hunt-for-third-dakar-rally-crown-20200102-p53od8.html

[VKPrado]

Two Australians in the top 15 in the bikes at the moment is a great effort.

The scenery being shown is fantastic and the pace of the cars is quite remarkable.

[Bird]

Two Australians in the top 15 in the bikes at the moment is a great effort.

The scenery being shown is fantastic and the pace of the cars is quite remarkable.

Was strange the GPS way point was not setup properly yesterday though..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SNOoS5-ewU

[Bird]

Price up to second...

https://www.motorsport.com/dakar/news/price-fastest-sunderland-crashes-ktm/4642992/

[Bird]

 

Paulo Gonçalves, racing on motorbike no. 8, has passed away from a fall sustained 276 kilometres into today's special. The organisers received an alert at 10:08 and dispatched a medical helicopter that reached the biker at 10:16 and found him unconscious after going into cardiac arrest. Following resuscitation efforts in situ, the competitor was taken by helicopter to Layla Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead.

40-year-old Paulo Gonçalves was taking part in his 13th Dakar. He made his debut in 2006 and had finished four times in the top 10, including an impressive performance as runner-up to Marc Coma in 2015. Paulo Gonçalves, the 2013 cross-country rallies world champion, was sitting in 46th place overall after stage 6 of the 2020 Dakar.

The entire Dakar caravan would like to extend its sincere condolences to his friends and family.

https://www.dakar.com/en/news/2020/portuguese-rider-paulo-goncalves-passed-away-1/165577

From Toby Price.

Yesterday's stage was starting well, great pace and feeling good on the bike until the refuel.

Paulo took off into the stage about 5 minutes before me and the worst case had happened. I come over a small crest and seen a rider down and was Paulo.

Worst fears kicked in cause I knew this one was serious. I called for help ASAP and helped get him on his side (plus more serious checks). Tried calling for more help and by this stage @stefansvitko (also a champion) had arrived and helping where he could.

The first helicopter arrive and @luc_alphand_skiator was starting to help and as the medical helicopter arrive they were already on CPR and the doctors got to our sides and work all they could.

Helping holding drip bags, getting bags of medical equipment and guiding other riders around a bad scene. We all worked as long as we could but there was nothing we could do (pic 2). I helped assist carrying him to the helicopter as it was the right thing to do. I was first at his side and wanted to be the last to leave.

We will miss you're smile and laughter in the bivouac #speedy

My last 250km of special stage was tough, I'm dehydrated from tears.

At the moment I'm not even worried about the result, I couldn't care.

Many thoughts with family and friends on this day, we don't start the rally day 8 for bike #8 in respect to family and friends and the loss of a HERO..

Thankyou to everyone for the messages of support worldwide, especially Portugal with all the kind things. We are human and this is nothing but just a race, I would give up all my wins to have any of my fellow racing mates back with us.
https://www.facebook.com/tprice87/posts/3430006687070365

https://www.facebook.com/dakar/videos/2974980129201367/

[alnjan]

Not what any one expects and good on Toby for putting mateship above the race. 

[Bird]

Not what any one expects and good on Toby for putting mateship above the race.

Surprised he did so well today considering.

[DannyG]

Toby is a champion.

He has pretty much given up this years win by stopping to help Paulo. With 2 rounds to go I can not see him pegging back the time lost.

It would be one of the greatest comebacks of all time if he can. I tip him to come back and get 2nd place.

[VKPrado]

The time Toby lost while assisting with Paulo was given back to him so the time he is behind Ricky is what he has lost while actually racing.

[RonnieQ]

Wasn't  the stage cancelled. So no time lost.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Bird]

Wasn't  the stage cancelled. So no time lost.

Nope next day stage 8 was cancelled.

When riders stop and hit the panic button, they are given time back from that point to a point they move again give or take with some other stuff involved....

but yea, awesome work by Price to stay by, and amazing he kept going after knowing Paulo had died.

I like Alonso's crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FhzyLol_6U

[RonnieQ]

Thanks for the clarification.
They go through extremes those guys, adding a fatality, being first on the seen and then the ability to continue is definitely a superhuman effort from Toby Price.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[DannyG]

Yeh thanks for clarifying that.

Well hopefully he can get second place, either way he is a champion

[Bird]

https://www.mcnews.com.au/toby-price-third-as-brabec-wins-the-dakar-rally-2020/
Price scored a great third place... I think he did well to end up so strongly....

KTMs 18yr reign at the top ends...

[alnjan]

Yep he did well

[Bird]

Massive chnges to next years race for the bikes.

https://www.mcnews.com.au/dakar-2021-route-details/

As the race enters uncharted territory, the measures taken in 2020 to put the focus on navigation will continue their natural progression. Road books will now be handed out in the morning right before the start of each special. Some categories will have digital road books.

Furthermore, the rules have been amended to slow down the vehicles and, in general, to make the race safer. Certain hazardous sections will be categorised as "slow zones" where the speed limit will be set at 90 km/h. Air-bag vests will now be mandatory and subject to inspection by race officials during technical scrutineering. Motorcycle competitors will only be allowed six tyres for the duration of the event.

[Bird]

https://youtu.be/5vJtk7t2qFI

https://www.mcnews.com.au/moto-news-weekly-dakar-mx-aft-2021-calendars/

[Bird]

Price and Saunders in top 10 on prologue. But I can see the new tyre limitation rule this year causing grief for plenty of riders

https://www.mcnews.com.au/sanders-third-in-2021-dakar-prologue-price-ninth/

[Foo]

Get ya bloody act together Bird, it's Price not Prince. 

Foo

[Bird]

Get ya bloody act together Bird, it's Price not Prince. 

Foo

I dont do 6pm well since having time off work...

[Foo]

I dont do 6pm well since having time off work...

Foo

[gronk]

I dont do 6pm well since having time off work...

What, you already in bed by then ??   

[Bird]

What, you already in bed by then ??   

 

[Bird]

Its been up and down all the way.. day 2 with contaminated fuel - which put some other contenders out.. Locally supplied fuel, jerry cans had water in em... some bikes just stopped... wouldnt run.

Yesterday Saunders took a great second! Price dropped to 8th..

Today Price back up 4th Sanders to 13th - brilliant effort.  Burgess 38th and Houlihan in 63rd but both still going



https://www.mcnews.com.au/2021-dakar-rally-stage5-report-toby-price-third/