The Dakar 2014 Groupies' Thread

[El Forko]

Hi Folks,

I thought it would be worth starting a thread for those of us who are planning on following the Dakar - a place where we can post any info we discover about routes and good viewing points, share ideas and tactics for how best to follow the racers (old timers' advice obviously welcomed), and perhaps coordinate meeting up along the way. I'm a novice to Dakar following, but I'm guessing local knowledge a few days before the stage is the key to success, so being able to share that info would be very useful to all.

I'm currently planning to pick the rally up around St Raphael or Uspallata and follow it up to Salta and perhaps even Uyuni - although staying with the pace from Salta to Uyuni could be a challenge.

Maybe see you out there!!

Paul

[mollydog]

I'm not in S. America so no in person viewing and very little (none) TV coverage in the USA unless you have expensive cable TV set up.

Does anyone know of a reliable U tube (or other) free link for updates? I've used these links in the past ... not bad ... despite clueless hosts on Eurosport. Helio coverage is fantastic, so UPS to that!

I had no idea the route carried on all the way North to Uyuni. Wow!
I see this event becoming more a "Millionaire's Only" race.
But I guess it's really always been that way ...

So glad to see the Japanese OEM's finally coming back into the Dakar event after 20 years absent. Now both Honda and Yamaha are running factory teams. Nice! I'm betting my long ago predictions will come true!

I see some Kawasaki's entered ... but no idea if KHI is involved? Looks like BMW are gone for good: Gone Green and Electric! Too bad ... they always brought a lot (of money) to the event.

KTM has lost Despres, gone to Yamaha. I believe Coma is still with KTM ... plus they still have a host of INCREDIBLE lesser known team racers.

This year will be the first year that both Honda and Yamaha are fully prepped and have well seasoned rally racers on the teams. Will that be enough to beat KTM? )

Sad to hear top US rider Kurt Casselli was recently killed racing the Baja 1000. Kurt was USA's best hope to challenge top racers. USA racers have failed in the Dakar for years, while the Euro and S. American riders soar and dominate. I am most impressed with the young Chilean, Argentine and Spanish riders of the last couple years.

May they all have a safe race!

[sgt_garcia]

hi

i just arrived in Rosario and i plan ro follow the dakar the whole way

i'm travelling on a klr 650

maybe we can meet somewhere on the way?

[Peter Bodtke]

I caught two stages of the Dakar in 2013. The following might be useful if you know little to nothing about the rally, like I did... Jump in and provide better suggestions or corrections if you know better.

The course details are released ~24 hours before each race. Be ready to scrabble a little or a lot to find the actual course. I went to the "Tucumán/Cordoba" stage and saw the race over 100 miles west of Tucumán, and a bit further south of Santa Maria. The "Fiambalá/Copiapó" stage started just north of Fiambalá. The course was much, much, closer to the town, then the stage that started in Tucumán.

The racers drive/ride from the bivouac to the race course near dawn. They may ride several hours on public roads and at legal speeds to get to the course. If you are traveling from the same town, you might find yourself riding along side a racer. Its pretty cool.

You have little chance of entering a bivouac, the fenced off camp/repair area where the racers go each night. A high tech wrist band is required to get through security. The wrist band has some kind of micro chip (RFID perhaps) that is scanned by a device to insure it is not a fake. Through a friend who had connections, I got into a bivouac for a few hours. It is a crazy scene outside the security gates, like being outside a rock concert, except everyone is a groupie and no one has a ticket to get in. You have the best chance of chatting with a racer at a gas station. I got to peek into the cab of Dakar ruck that was fueling up the day before the race at a gas station...

On the positive side, go online the night before the stage or down load the Dakar app for your smart phone. Figure out where the course runs and ride to an official viewing area. Maybe you want to check you the riders lining up for the start, I did. Then move down course to another official viewing area to watch the racer close up. The parking near the official view areas is some what secure, well there are other vehicles there...safety in numbers? Walk along the course. Get told by police that you have to get back from the course. How far? Far. Keep walking, and walk some more, walk til you are beyond where the police manage the course. Pick your spot and you can stand right next to the course and feel the dust and flying rocks of the worlds toughest riders as they come screaming by you. PS: don't stand too close.

The course for motorcycles and four wheelers may be different than the course for cars and trucks. I never saw a truck pass me on the two stages I attended and I heard that the trucks had a different course. Do your research on Accueil pré course j - 3 : Dakar

I wish like anything that I could attend some of the stages this year. If you make it to the Dakar, then have a blast! The Bolivia stage is gonna be a hoot. I took a jeep tour south of the Salar de Uyni and those roads suck AND it up there in altitude. A double whammy. My hat goes off to any and all racers that finish that stage.

I was able to camp out the night before along the race course, far from the police controlled observation area. Take everything that you might need. Water, food, sun protection. The Dakar isn't your typical day at the races, with vendors and porta potties. Ha!

[El Forko]

Originally Posted by sgt_garcia

hi

i just arrived in Rosario and i plan ro follow the dakar the whole way

i'm travelling on a klr 650

maybe we can meet somewhere on the way?

Hey Man, Rosario to Valpo is going to be epic!!

I'm hanging around Stage 4 and 5 at the moment, talking to the police to find the route. I'll post what I find in a day or two.

Let's try to hook up.

Paul

[El Forko]

Originally Posted by Peter Bodtke

I caught two stages of the Dakar in 2013. The following might be useful if you know little to nothing about the rally, like I did... Jump in and provide better suggestions or corrections if you know better.

The course details are released ~24 hours before each race. Be ready to scrabble a little or a lot to find the actual course. I went to the "Tucumán/Cordoba" stage and saw the race over 100 miles west of Tucumán, and a bit further south of Santa Maria. The "Fiambalá/Copiapó" stage started just north of Fiambalá. The course was much, much, closer to the town, then the stage that started in Tucumán.

The racers drive/ride from the bivouac to the race course near dawn. They may ride several hours on public roads and at legal speeds to get to the course. If you are traveling from the same town, you might find yourself riding along side a racer. Its pretty cool.

You have little chance of entering a bivouac, the fenced off camp/repair area where the racers go each night. A high tech wrist band is required to get through security. The wrist band has some kind of micro chip (RFID perhaps) that is scanned by a device to insure it is not a fake. Through a friend who had connections, I got into a bivouac for a few hours. It is a crazy scene outside the security gates, like being outside a rock concert, except everyone is a groupie and no one has a ticket to get in. You have the best chance of chatting with a racer at a gas station. I got to peek into the cab of Dakar ruck that was fueling up the day before the race at a gas station...

On the positive side, go online the night before the stage or down load the Dakar app for your smart phone. Figure out where the course runs and ride to an official viewing area. Maybe you want to check you the riders lining up for the start, I did. Then move down course to another official viewing area to watch the racer close up. The parking near the official view areas is some what secure, well there are other vehicles there...safety in numbers? Walk along the course. Get told by police that you have to get back from the course. How far? Far. Keep walking, and walk some more, walk til you are beyond where the police manage the course. Pick your spot and you can stand right next to the course and feel the dust and flying rocks of the worlds toughest riders as they come screaming by you. PS: don't stand too close.

The course for motorcycles and four wheelers may be different than the course for cars and trucks. I never saw a truck pass me on the two stages I attended and I heard that the trucks had a different course. Do your research on Accueil pré course j - 3 : Dakar

I wish like anything that I could attend some of the stages this year. If you make it to the Dakar, then have a blast! The Bolivia stage is gonna be a hoot. I took a jeep tour south of the Salar de Uyni and those roads suck AND it up there in altitude. A double whammy. My hat goes off to any and all racers that finish that stage.

I was able to camp out the night before along the race course, far from the police controlled observation area. Take everything that you might need. Water, food, sun protection. The Dakar isn't your typical day at the races, with vendors and porta potties. Ha!

Thanks Peter - really useful info. I'm currently trying to find the specials by searching Google Earth and talking to the local cops, to work out which are the best / easiest stages to watch.

I might head up to Uyuni - there is a rest day the previous day in Salta so I could get ahead of the riders. I rode my moto through between Tupiza and Uyuni last year which is where the first special will be. Amazing lasndscape.

[El Forko]

sgt_garcia, looks like we are the only two motoqueros following the rally!

I'm going to pick it up on Stage 4, either at the spectator zone 3 at Bella Vista in the morning, or up at Guandacol further north. (There is a campsite at Bella Vista.)

I'm riding a blue Tenere 660 with black soft panniers, a yellow bag on the back and red pants - easy to find!

See you on the road!!

Paul