Dakar 2011 Race
 

Who is going to be at the Dakar race this summer ?

2 of us will be there on DR650's following the race from BA to Chile and Back.

I plan to be there with my Land Rover. Do you know if we can actually go on the Dakar trail or do we have to go alongside on the highway?

We will be riding through the area while the Dakar is on and intend on seeing some of the race but have not done research yet to see the best vantage points, any suggestions?
We will be on 2 x 1200GSA's

The competitors do not get the final route until the night before, so I'm not sure how much information is available beforehand.
Our plan is to turn up and see :funmeteryes:

Remember its allmost imposible for a normal rider like us to follow the entire race.So be smart,make good scenery selections and be in advance of the race for those special moments and pics!
Remember also gas will be tigth on the main racing zones!
Karl

The special stages will be closed to normal traffic during the race, but some sections will probably open up afterwards, especially if they are back country roads, that seemed to be the case when I was there last year.

I would suggest planning on picking a vantage point for each days stage and getting there early, definately worth doing :)

Cheers
TravellingStrom

Dakar Rally 2011
 

After following the last 2 Dakar Rallies we can honestly say it is a fantastic experience :D but be perpared for some long days. As Karl said, to follow the entire race is very difficult. Maybe follow a few days then miss a day or two to get ahead of the race then catch it for another few days. We also found petrol to be a problem in some areas so fill up when you can.

The race sections are closed to normal traffic so you will most likely follow with the support vehicles which usually travel the most direct route (usually tarmac except where there is only dirt roads like Paso San Francisco)between bivouacs and quite often ride with the competitors before and after the special race stages.

If you can check the Dakar web site during the race they post about 1 or 2 days in advance where spectators can have access to watch the special. It's listed under Public Areas, the PDF file is only in Spanish but you can work out the details from the maps included. We would try to ride with the race bikes before the special starts. Often they stop at a local petrol station just before the special and this is good for photos and to talk to the privateers. I know this is not as good as action shots in the race but good all the same.

Be aware that accommodation in the towns where the Dakar stops can be hard to find or quite expensive but not impossible. We would often go a little further and stop in a small town on the next days route and pick the riders up as they came past early the next morning. Scrutineering is good to watch which is listed as the 30th and 31st of December.

We wish we could be there for the 2011 Dakar but we are now in the USA. You can see some of our Dakar 2009 and 2010 photos on teamduval's Photos

Hope the information is of some help.

Ken and Carol Duval:mchappy:

+1 on accommodations. It gets scarce and expensive wherever the race passes through.

My favorite part was how excited the local kids would get when they'd see me. Apparently, one big bike covered with stickers (mine) is as good as the next (belonging to actual competitors), so they'd ask for autographs or just get ridiculously gleeful from merely saying hello. I was carrying cards with my photo (five hundred for US$20 ordered by internet in the States), and I gave away quite a few to kids and their parents whenever I crossed paths with the race. Explaining that I had nothing to do with the Paris Dakar, was not famous, and had never been on television didn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm.

enjoy,

Mark

Hi Mark, come on to Argentine for Dakar 2011. I will wait for you and your card with your photo (naked?) and I will get ridiculously gleeful from merely saying hello to you. Your comment over the local kids and their parents is not suitable

Hm. Might be something lost in the translation somewhere. In any case, I'm far from the Dakar now and have run out of cards. Hope it's a good one!

Mark

If I can't volunteer in some capacity to help then I will follow the race. All I need to do is buy a small dirt bike in Chile in December when I arrive. It would be great to follow the race with some other riders.

I am by no means a professional dirt rider, but I have ridden Baja, The Copper Canyon, Death Valley, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos, so I am guessing I could keep pace with most folks.

Reply or send me a PM if anybody is interested or has some info.

What about camping along the route, Is it allowed, are there places?

Cheers

You won't be able to 'follow' the race on a dirt bike all the way, except after the fact, you will need to use the highways to get ahead of the race and find the official vantage points, this has already been mentioned

Obviously, I just know having to wait around for a rider who can't keep up (regardless of environment) is frustrating

I'll be around somewhere

have enjoyed the last two editions, but can't make it this year, we will be suffering our own Dakar in the Amazon during the heavy rains...

Hi guys!

Sounds like a great trip you're planning, and it would be great to catch up with you somewhere along the route like you say...

Yes, I'll be #173 on a WR450F this year!

http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...IMG_6743_2.jpg

It's been a mad couple of months getting everything ready for shipping at the end of November, and in this brief respite I've even managed to cobble a website together: JennyDakar.com

If you go to the follow me page, there are a number of ways I hope to update you all with my progress during the race itself!

There is also a Facebook page that a friend has set up on my behalf:

JMo Racing - Jenny Morgan Dakar | Facebook

I'll be calling in to her regularly, so she'll be able to update you all through Facebook too!

Hope to see you out there!

Jenny xx

http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...sitelink-1.jpg

Dakar Rally 2011
 

Greetings Jenny and our thoughts will be with you in this great adventure. We are back in Australia but our spirits will be spending a lot of time in Argentina and Chile during this race. We get coverage on television over here but usually they concentrate on the top riders but our interest tend towards the amatuers or lesser known riders especially the ladies. The supporters in both these countries are very passionate about the Dakar so enjoy your time in South America and ride well. Carol & Ken

Jenny, will definitely be looking for you.
Go hard gurl and have fun

Oh, are you taking your Mum ?


kim

Thanks for you support Kim! - but my Mum?!

I wasn't planning to - only piglet x

Jx

I'll be following it from Arica down to Calama / Antofagasta so I will be lookingout for you Jenny, you may not remember me but we met at HUBB Ripley. I fell in with the Chilean KTM dsitributor so am going up with him and his crew. Best of luck, give it th berries Gyal!
Cheers - Martyn

Hee hee - I'll do my best Martyn!

Hope to catch up with you en route!

Jx

Ok, just got back into BA late this avo.
At Dakar motos.

Where is everyone staying ?
where is all the Dakar Action ?

I know that Tina from Germany is in BA (according to her facebook, and that she has been hooning around BA

Anyone else ?

Would love to catch up with anyone


Kim

Hee hee - give it another 24 hours and I reckon you'll be inundated!

Jx

I'm in Córdoba, planning to see some on the 2nd and 3rd of January here, if anyone is around shoot me a msg!

Jennys bike at La Rural!Wishess of no bad luck!
Karl

Just got into Victoria, Awesome show. People everywhere, however we got a room at the first Hotel (at somewhat inflated prices 300pesos for a double)
But who cares :-)

I'm a little peeved right now, I just wanted to go watch a little of the dakar but the spectator zones area of the website is down and their route on the map doesn't show any roads or anything so how can I go see it?

Anyone going to be in Iquique?
 

I'll be there from the 4th and will be camping someplace. If anyone else is around for a beer or wants to go see the race, please give me a shout.

So I will Pick up a DR650 in Santiago Friday morning, and then plan on heading up to Copiapo to watch a few stages. Any and all advice for this First time Dakar watcher would be appreciated

Cheers

Matt

Jenny is out of this yrear Dakar! She had an accident with broken leg bones.She is in the hospital in CALAMA. Doctor Carlos Cisternas 2253.If any one is in the zone a visit would help a lot!(sneak a Big Mac and a bottle of coke for her!!!!)
CU in BA Jenny?
Karl

Hi everyone...

Yes, as you may have heard, I crashed out big style on day 5 (special stage 4) between Jujuy and Calama...

Spent a week in hospital having my left leg pinned back together and was repatriated last week...

Am currently resting at my Mum's house before heading home, once I can drive again!

Not how I imagined it would end, but there you go...

Here's a photo from happier times:

http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...11/9806446.jpg

Forgive me not writing more here, but there are lots of photos and info on the JMOracing facebook page, plus over on ADVrider - "Dakar Dazed - countdown to bankruptcy!"

Jx

OK, just a quick update - I've been busy updating the www.jennydakar.com website over the past couple of days, and it's now live again with a new photo album full of Dakar pictures - a great number not seen before - plus the new Team T-shirts and other merchandise deals are now on-sale online!

Please check out the photos, and let me know what you think!

Jxx

ps. Piglet has asked me to remind you all that later today (27th January) at 10pm GMT, there will be a live interview on BIKERfm - UK's Internet Radio Station for Bikers with Piglet talking about his favorite records... (erm, are you sure that's right? ed.)

Hopefully there might also be an opportunity for me to say something about my ill-fated Dakar attempt this year too... you can also email the show with any questions... proper interactive an’ all that!

Toot toot!

Heal fast gurl.

Good on you to keep everyone up to date.

Will sort thru my photos when I get home, sure there is one or two of you in action somewhere and with post

Got a few photos of Simon, but he always seems to turn up at the most inappropriate moment :-)

Kim

I have decided to do this in 2012.

Does anyone know of any places where I can hire a bike or perhaps a comapny that does tours etc.

Any info appreciated.