Special Stage for LEG 2

10:30am ARG local time is the start time for the first MOTO of the Special Stage for LEG 2 (DSS on map).

The first moto's LEAVE the bivouac at Santa Rosa on the 400 km transport to the Special stage start control at 05:00 am local ARG time... which 16 minutes from NOW as I write this.

Todays Special Stage is 295 km's long... starts out with 200 k's of hard gravel roads... then a 12 km section of "off piste/off road" (where it lookes like the cars do a 5 km abbreviated route to the other classes - Moto, Quad and Trucks), then finish with about 65 km's of sand... with a distincly larger 10 km section of dunes to negotiate about 30 kilometers from the end of the stage:

STAGE MAP

 
STAGE PROFILE

Dakar 2012 Leg 1 (Mar Del Plata - Santa Rosa de la Pampa)

Bittersweet #Dakar 1st stage: US pilots good start, SA boys make start, Brits get some kit, Alfie out & tragic loss of Jorge Boero

I won the 10hour Dawn to Dusk 2011 Big Bike Race on a KTM690

August 27th and 28th

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend famous (or should that be infamous?) Dawn to Dusk Enduro once again descended on the hallowed ground of Walters Arena in South Wales , for the tenth year running. Over 1000 riders pitted themselves and their machines against the notoriously slippery and sometimes very tricky going the venue throws up each year.

Saturday was punctuated by the occasional heavy shower, which kept the dust down. For the first time this year, the Saturday afternoon saw dozens of riders try their hand at the Funduro Rodeo. A straight shoot out-out between two riders around a tight and tricky lap - very similar to the head to head races seen at stadium events like the X games. It proved to be a real crowd pleaser as well as a great warm up event, and Winner Carl Jones proved it would also be a great guide to this years racing form in the later "headline" events.

Another first for this event was in inclusion of a round of the Big Bike Rally Challenge. Run through the night, alongside the initial part of the 24hour race. More than two dozen hardy souls lined up on a wide variety of 575cc + bikes - ranging from rally ready KTM singles to a mighty boxer twin. Thundering off into the gathering evening gloom, the first MX style mini Jump saw some heavy metal flying through the Welsh mountain air! Eventual winner was Glenn Morgan (me) I had to battled hard throughout 10 very long hours with the my Desert Rose Racing team member Pasty Quick to claim top spot, with a clear lap advantage.

OFFROAD DAY 4 - WEDNESDAY 20TH JULY

Feeling pretty good for the start today but oh did they make us work very hard to get to the finish!

The race back to the finish in Piata Mica within the medieval centre of Sibiu (Hermannstadt).

Steve and I had a late start and then were pulled over for 30mins with 10 other riders by the police, going through the village as someone had complained, probably because all the pro riders were running late and had gone through the village at top speed as they had their start times changed.

Once we got to the start we climbed a steep forest hill, (getting warmed up) which then went down to a river for a cool down.

All day was full of fantastic riding and sections as the "Pope track" , "slime stone" and "Long walk Junior" keeping us hot and busy.

At the "hiking trails" section all of our skills were used, sometimes not even on the bikes.

The last day for was not the easiest of days, and had a lot of difficult technical single tracks that kept us very hot all day in fact several of the pro said it was the hardest day and I agree it probably was.

Just befor the service poin we had a very steep downhill which is where I mad the biggest mistake of the race and ended up drop my bike about 20m down the hill lucky for me I wasn't on it. It was jus a small switch back but at extremely steep angle and the front roll over the edge at that was that.  After the service point where Pasty and Darren did some quick repairs to my bars as I had bent and broken the triple clamp bolt onto the bars.  We had a small chance to stretch our legs and take in the scenery on a fast rallye style track all the way to the finish at Piata Mica in Sibiu. Just before the end, after we started to think it was all over they threw in a really steep up hill section. I ended up carrying five bikes up after getting mine 90% up the with a little help of the last section from Jago. Then we pulled Ross Noble, Zippy's, Steve's and Jago's bikes up, I was absolutely knackered after doing that.

Then After more steep climbs we went down into Sibiu following and crossing the river right in the centre of town. Finally getting to the famous steps of the finishing line in front of a very large crowd. Not the place to blow it but both Steve and I finished in style on the top and had made up 3 hours on Ross and Zippy and 2 hours on Jajo. Wow what elation that was after a very hard 5 days riding both of us sore and knackered but very please to be at the end.

TANKPOINT & START INFORMATION

first competitor leaves "Arsenal park start" 08:20
Arsenal Park start to “offroad start” 21 km´s, (40 minutes allowed for Liaison)
Offroad start to 4TP1 = 9 km´s
4TP1 to 4TP 2 = 33 km´s
4TP2 to 4TP3 = 37 km´s
4TP3 to finish at Piata Mica = 43 km´s

Total distance offroad is 122 km´s, including Liaisons 143 km´s
Maximum riding time: 9:30 hrs, mins

Estimated time of arrival of first rider at (SP) service point 11:09
Service vehicle travel time from riders paddock = 1 hr

OFFROAD DAY 3 - TUESDAY 19TH JULY

Day 3 is the toughest day of the Red Bull Romaniacs hard enduro rallye 2011

The course travels from Sibiu to the overnight Bivioac at "Arsenal Park" near Orastie.

Pro class have a tough start, which includes "Doctor.3" also a nice´river down´ track then comes "Viagra falls" and "el Vikingo" plus some extra unnamed challenging sections all within the first 35 Km´s, after that there is a nice smoother ride? to the finish.

Experts are having a nice tough day as well, with sections named "shit farmer up", "Vasile", "Dacia express" these are sure to be remembered and discussed, good news is there is some breathing distance between these challenges.

Hobby class starts with easy tracks, but then there is a river that will NOT cool them down but for sure will heat the body and bike up to boiling temparature.

Soon after there is a fast down hill where the excess speed will cool the body down fast. Tracks have an amazing scenery mix. Some sections when taken with care and skill is possible. One famous section that challenges is the "Donkey trail" and it was a bitch, nearly 2.5 hours on it. But we finally made it.

TANKPOINT & START INFORMATION

first hobby competitor leaves Hotel start at 06:00
Hotel start to “offroad start” 18 km´s, ( 30 minutes allowed for Liaison)
Offroad start to 3TP1 = 36 km´s
Hobby class skip tank point TP2
3TP1 to 3TP3 = 41 km´s
3TP3 to 3TP4 = 30 km´s
3TP4 to 3TP5 = 45 km´s
3TP5 to offroad finish/rider paddoch finish = 25 km´s

Total distance offroad is 160 km´s, including Liaisons 178 km´s
Maximum riding time: 10 hrs

Estimated time of arrival of first rider at (SP) service point "Sugag" 08:15
Service vehicle travel time from riders paddock = 1.5 hours