It's Dakar time!

Jordi Villadom (RedBull Photo)

The 2016 Dakar starts tomorrow January 2 with the ceremonial start from Buenos Aires.

Real racing starts on the third with the first 400 mile leg to Villa Carlos Paz.  Villa Paz is also where the rally will conclude, on January 16th, after more than 5500 miles of desert and rock trails though Argentina and Bolivia.

This year, organizers of the Dakar are trying to change the focus of the race from one of outright speed to one emphasizing clever navigation, regularity and mechanical endurance. Stage winners will have to lead the next day's stage meaning they will no longer be able to follow another competitors tracks but will have to find their own way through.

There is one massive almost 1000km / 620 mile marathon stage where competitors will not be allowed to have the help of support vehicles or mechanics. The idea is to make the Dakar more like it was in the early, adventure days.

The best way to follow the rally will be via the official Dakar site but, in the mean time, we selected some of the best pre- race videos to get you in the mood.

Happy new year!

Repost: African Turbo

1982 Renault 20 Turbo 4x4 Paris-Dakar

First published in December 2012


"Fait attention au vaches!"... "aaargh" ... "C'est bon. C'est bon"

Short shorts, t-shirts and unfastened helmets mixed with much gallic arguing, it's hard to believe these two managed to get anywhere, much less win the Dakar outright.    In fact Claude and Bernard Marreau were by then veterans of the first three editions of the desert classic and had a long previous experience in African Rally Raids.

A 1982 GoPro equivalent...

Cheers then for the brothers who 30 years ago, not only dodged african cows, managed not to strangle each other  or kill their Safari edition 4WD Renault 20 Turbo but also made this film without the aid of  a single GoPro!

The soundtrack gets pretty silly at times but stick with it and keep in mind that in the 80's turbos were a new and somewhat dodgy technology,  ballsy by Renault to have the confidence their turbo engine would prove reliable in that hellish torture test.

The engine in the car was a carburated 1.6 L  out of an R18 Turbo,  good for 132 hp.  5 speed transmission, rear locking differential.     Front suspension was  double a arms, rear was a solid axle.
It has been restored, you can find that story HERE

Dakar, 30 years ago

(Photo:Porsche AG)

You might be following the 2015 edition of the Dakar as it winds its way through the scorching high deserts of Argentina and Chile.   In 2015 you have the luxury of high definition video clips delivered via YouTube and timing information in real time.

 Dakar is now an international media event.

Thirty years ago it was quite different.  In 1984 the Paris-Algiers-Dakar race was just becoming known outside adventure rally enthusiasts circles and Porsche mounted a first manufacturer effort to conquer the deserts of West Africa.   Races were immortalized in long form documentaries.  

Dakar is still epic, no doubt, but watching Jackie Ickx trying to fix an electrical issue on his 953 with a folding knife just makes you wonder if this was not epic on a whole other level.

Like this?  Make sure you check out the amazing 1982 edition film HERE

Spaghetti Dakar

Sergio Leone would be proud.

F1 season may be coming to a close this week end in Brazil but, with the new year comes the Dakar.

The route for 2014 will take the raiders through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile for an epic 5000 km race which for the first time will see two separate tracks, one for bikes and quads and another for cars and trucks.  This was done partly for safety and partly to create routes more suited to each group.

The 2014 Dakar starts on the 5th of January, 2014.
(h/t Gully!)

Dakar Postcards

Pascal Larroque, co-driver of Pascal Thomasse, both of France, pulls their car with a cable from the bank of a river during Stage 11 from La Rioja to Fiambala, Argentina, on January 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Bertrand Metayer, Le Parisien)

More problems with rain at the Dakar.  Stage 11 was partly cancelled when the Rio Grande became impassable.



Pictures are from this excellent photo feature on The Atlantic.  (thanks Tim!)

A motorcyclist in the 4th stage of the Dakar Rally 2013 from Nazca to Arequipa, on January 8, 2013. (Reuters/Franck Fife) 

KTM Ferdinand Kreidl of Austria kicks up dust on his way up a mountain during Stage 4 from Nazca to Arequipa, Peru, on January 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Ouch!

What's it like to flip a Hummer?

Photo: Jonathan Molina

OK, We like to poke fun at Robby Gordon for being...RRRRRRobbby Gordon!!! But we love that he's generous in sharing his adventures and misadventures and in his own way, doing a big service keeping Dakar in the news.

Light looks pretty flat in the desert an you can sense how hard it must be to properly gauge heights of dunes and of course impossible to see what's on the other side of them.

Case in point, Krzysztof Hołowczyc in a MINI Dakar.



So, here is onboard from Gordon's truck.



I'm guessing he'll be back,   Dakar seems to do that to people.

Amazing what you can do with a Motorcycle

Since we are in Dakar season and thinking of my friends CG and Andres, bombing around Colombia in their adventure bikes... Beautiful clip via YAN ZAHAROV on Vimeo.

Robby Gordon's epic hissy fit (NSFW)

RRRRRRRobby Gordon never fails to entertain.  French tv commentators were certainly amused by his epic tirade on discovering he'd broken reverse after getting stuck on the top of that sand dune on day 1....  Not sure I understand what he's saying there between all the expletives,  surely he's not blaming his navigator is he?

In any case, today, he rolled it for good measure.



Robby was not the only one with a bit of an embarrassing fail in the early stages

Dakar Postcards 2

Epic images above from Team HRC

RRRRobby Gordon maybe should not have been so quick to ridicule Sainz and al-Hattiyah's buggies (he called them "buggly".  Not that it's a beauty but c'mon...he's driving a  lambo doored Hummer shaped vehicle...)

A pretty mich bone stock MINI Countryman was leading day 2

Waypoints are your friends!

Dakar Postcards 1

Photo: Old Gringo/Adventure Rider.com

And they love Rrrrrrrrrrobby Gordon in Peru!

Dakar, the hard way

Dakar is certainly about multi million dollar corporate showcases but perhaps the true spirit of the raids of old are with privateers like rider Lyndon Poskitt.

I posted a picture of Lyndon in the previous Dakar article, quite by chance... we like KTMs and orange here at Axis,  I did not know his story until I  received an email from Jack McCormack alerting me to Poskitt's quest.   For the 2013 Dakar, Poskitt is riding a blue KTM 450RR.

So as you follow the race for the next two weeks, why not keep an eye out for Lyndon's updates on his BLOG  or twitter  or FB and maybe see the Dakar from a point of view different from that of the big wigs up front.



Axis riders might like a peak at how a bike might be prepared for the Dakar.  

Dakar 2013 is ready to roll!

It may no be as crazy as the early Paris-Dakar but it's still an epic man vs machine vs nature battle through some of the most amazing landscapes on the planet.

We'll do what we can to find extra pictures and clips but you can follow the day to day, starting January 5th though the 20th on the official Dakar site and on twitter, #dakar2013.

Riders are ready, drivers are ready, photographers are ready, sponsors are ready, from major manufacturers to a French porn producers (true story!).   The only one not ready seems to be US television, even with its 1367 channels.

UPDATE:  As Jerry Smith points out in the comments,  2013 DAKAR updates will indeed be carried by the new NBC SP network,  I had missed it in the guide where it's listed under "Sports-non event"!
NBC SP HD is ch 481 on Time Warner Cable, mark it because that's where F1 will be this year.

Lucky for us TV is no longer needed,   Meet a few of the competitors in these great pre race videos.

After the jump, more clips, this year's porn star on  this dude Hugo Payen's bike ( number 69 of course) and an article from Red Bulletin about mapping the route for the 2013 Dakar you should have a look at.

African Turbo

1982 Renault 20 Turbo 4x4 Paris-Dakar

"Fait attention au vaches!"... "aaargh" ... "C'est bon. C'est bon"

Short shorts, t-shirts and unfastened helmets mixed with much gallic arguing, it's hard to believe these two managed to get anywhere, much less win the Dakar outright.    In fact Claude and Bernard Marreau were by then veterans of the first three editions of the desert classic and had a long previous experience in African Rally Raids.

A 1982 GoPro equivalent...

Cheers then for the brothers who 30 years ago, not only dodged african cows, managed not to strangle each other  or kill their Safari edition 4WD Renault 20 Turbo but also made this film without the aid of  a single GoPro!

The soundtrack gets pretty silly at times but stick with it and keep in mind that in the 80's turbos were a new and somewhat dodgy technology,  ballsy by Renault to have the confidence their turbo engine would prove reliable in that hellish torture test.

The engine in the car was a carburated 1.6 L  out of an R18 Turbo,  good for 132 hp.  5 speed transmission, rear locking differential.     Front suspension was  double a arms, rear was a solid axle.
It has been restored, you can find that story HERE

2011 Dakar is off today

5000 km through the mountains and deserts of Argentina and Chile. Follow on the official Dakar site or dowload the iPhone app.

To watch, x-Raid's Mini and BMW X3 but especially the Aprilia vs KTM battle. Aprilia is fielding more than a dozen official bikes in their effort to beat the Austrians.

More videos after the jump and I'll try to find some unusual (or just plain awesome) clips for you over the next two weeks..


(photo Rodrigo Escuti)

Robby Gordon Wins a Dakar Stage!

Robby Gordon won the 4th Dakar Rally stage today. The Rally is now over the Andes into Chile from Argentina, Gordon in his Monster Energy Hummer Baja truck was one single second faster than Rally leader Stephane Peterhansel in a BMW Diesel X3 and four Tiguan shaped VW trucks...





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Ouch... Carlos Sainz crashes out of the Dakar

Carlos Sainz had been tearing up the Argentinian desert and had a healthy lead having won six stages when he drove off a small cliff! Check out the video at 5:15 when Sainz's team mate almost follows him into the ravine but turns at the last minute. No serious injuries, a broken arm for the navigator.

For our Spanish readers, a news report after the jump

Great Dakar Pictures

these are just a few of the amazing set of Dakar Rally photos from Argentina that Boston.com published in their "Big Picture" section,





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"...this can only go well..."

Actually it did for the Driver Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz anyway who then politely even clean up their mess.

Happened at the Dakar Series Central Europe Rally in Hungary.