Dakar 2008

[RIDERR1150GSADV]

The real losers are the local populations who over the years have greatly benefited from the race's presence as well as charitable organizations who have donated water wells, clinics and school supplies etc.
The Islamofacists won this time...

 

[RIK]

But I thought the war on terror was just a bumper sticker?!

Give it a rest.

 

[voni]

A video of the announcement:

http://programs.sbs.com.au/dakar/

Voni
sMiling

 

[voni]

Not everyone is just giving up and going home.

Two years ago, Henno was the last place official finisher of the Dakar. I sent him a note of congratulations and have been on his update list ever since.

The language is Dutch. This is the latest I've received:

Henno rijdt alternatieve Dakar

9 januari 2008
Hij was de attractie van de Dakar, twee jaar geleden. Henno van Bergeijk,
ploegde en ploeterde met zijn oeroude Yamaha XT 500 door het rulle zand om vaak pas te finishen als de rest van het veld al startte voor de volgende etappe. Als held finishte hij als rode lantaarndrager. De komende editie zou Van Bergeijk starten met een gloednieuwe Yamaha.

Het mocht echter niet zover komen, na de afgelasting van de 30e Dakar
Rally afgelopen vrijdag 4 januari. Henno was boos. Hij had zijn motor al
goedgekeurd gekregen en was helemaal klaar voor zijn tweede deelname. "Wat een klotezooi. Dit geloof je toch niet. Niet normaal."

Henno ging echter niet bij de pakken neerzitten en maakte van de nood een deugd. "Ik ga op mijn motor offroad naar huis. Ik heb hiernaartoe
uitgekeken om te rijden, dus zal ik ook rijden. Misschien ga ik zelfs nog
wel even naar Marokko. De boottickets heb ik al en ik ben Dakar-proof. Je
moet er toch een positieve draai aan zien te geven", aldus Henno afgelopen zaterdag.

Gisteren is Henno op z'n Yamaha samen met Robert van Olst op een KTM vanuit Rabat vertrokken naar Er Rachidia. Ze worden hierbij ondersteund door Henk Vercoelen, Gerrit en Corky in de volgauto. Het plan is om vanuit Er Rachidia een aantal Dakar etappes te gaan rijden en zoals het er nu naar uitziet, zullen ze onderweg nog enkele andere teams gaan ontmoeten.

Via deze nieuwsbrief wil Henno alvast de sponsors en vrijwilligers
bedanken, die hem de kans hebben gegeven om zich op een perfecte wijze voor te bereiden op wat de zwaarste rally in de geschiedenis zou moeten worden.

Van tijd tot tijd wordt u op de hoogte gehouden via deze nieuwsbrief van
Henno's alternatieve Dakar.


meer informatie
meer informatie over Henno: www.hennovanbergeijk.nl

Rough Translation:

Henno drive alternative Dakar

January 9, 2008
He was the attraction of the Dakar, two years ago. Henno of Bergeijk,
Ploegde and ploeterde with its ancient Yamaha XT 500 by the sand to rulle often only finishers as the rest of the field already started for the next stage. If held as he finished lantaarndrager red. The next edition would From Bergeijk start with a brand new Yamaha.

It could not have come, however, after the cancellation of the 30th Dakar
Rally last Friday, Jan. 4. Henno was angry. He already had its engine
Been approved and was completely ready for his second participation. "What a klotezooi. This belief you do not. Not normal."

Henno was not to accept and made a virtue of necessity. "I go on my offroad motor home. Here I
Done to drive, so I will be driving. Maybe I will even
Some to Morocco. The boottickets I have and I am Dakar-proof. You
There must be a positive spin to try to give, "says Henno last Saturday.

Yesterday Henno on his Yamaha with Robert van Olst on a KTM departed from Rabat to have Rachidia. They are supported in this by Henk Vercoelen, Gerrit and Corky in the volgauto. The plan is to have Rachidia from a number Dakar stages to drive and as it stands now, will go quite a few other teams will meet.

This newsletter wants Henno least the sponsors and volunteers
Thank, who have given him the chance to walk on a perfect way to prepare for the toughest rally in the history should be.

From time to time you will be kept informed through this newsletter
Henno's alternative Dakar.


More
Learn about Henno: www.hennovanbergeijk.nl

 

[voni]

More from our intrepid hero, Henno:

The engine does the super!

January 13, 2008
Last Friday, Henno along with Robert van Olst in the Atlas Mountains in southern Morocco gereden. "On the snowy peaks we were against, then we have the whole day in the driven snow. It was very cold and deserted, but the engine did super!" Says Henno.

Where are you now?

"From the week we in the southernmost tip of Morocco driven and we are now working on the retreat. Yesterday we were in the Sahara sand dunes at high and got a couple of serious climbing. We are now in the vicinity of Erg Chebbi and nomads in a tent stopped for tea to drink. family is very hospitable and bakes bread for us. water for the tea is from an old inner tube met and the sugar is coaxed from somewhere. "

How the local population react?

"Everyone here is so friendly and relaxed. From an unsafe feeling we have absolutely no experience. And everyone regrets that the Dakar is not reviewed. Lots of people do not even realize it, because some areas are so remote that they not even know that it will not be carried out. "

How are the slopes?

"The runs we did off road driving on GPS and are great. Starting with a full tank and can be around 250 to 300 kilometres away. Volgauto This afternoon we arrive with the old-Dakarrijder Henk Vercoelen again, on the asphalt drive. Then we drive in a few days Dakar slopes to Nador in northern Morocco. Immediately, we are serving us. The good news is that I still have nothing to the engine. very reassuring, this material that I have had with me for the Dakar. "


More
Learn about Henno: www.hennovanbergeijk.nl

 

[rkasal]

Give it a rest.

I will, when America's enemies are dead. That's quite a list, though.

 

[USERNAME]

fellow Dakar enthusiasts,

If you want to have a political/terrorist discussion please move it over to "don't go there."

Please keep it civil.

Thanks.

 

[voni]

Snow? Freezing Cold? in the desert?

Henno and friends continue on and off the Dakar route.

Roughly translated from the Dutch:

The trip to Missour

January 18, 2008
The volgauto Henk Vercoelen, Gert and Corky are we the afternoon after our departure from Erg Chebbi no longer encountered.

After the visit to the nomads we went in the direction of Missour. The GPS gave north to the mountains and we had to. Fortunately, we still came along at a small gas station to refuel. Then kronkelde the route through a wet bedding river in the mountains to about two thousand meters.

In the canyon where we reason, the most remarkable layers hidden villages,
Probably because of the heat in summer. But now it was very cold and it took quite long before we were up. This is because we the wrong side branches of the river names, which we stranded on a large loose stones. Also at the gps we had little because of the winding 'piste'. Once it started to arrive over schemeren and rail we had to drive, it was bad to see. The Xenon on our engines, however, gave a sea of light, which we could continue in the dark.

Return direction Erg Chebbi meant about 300 km detour and back of all doorwadingen get soaked. Moreover, I do not like to go back and Robert is not happy. When we asked the way to the last passant, it was another 125 kilometers to Missour to be. Basically he explained that flow from one area to another and that we had to drive then after an hour or two at a village would come. Optimistic we started this, even though I had the feeling that this could sometimes be difficult. That was also very much, because after several times in the deep snow, be proven wrong, we noticed that we afreden our goal. The instructions of the Berber, "after 6 km, a mine left where you can possibly sleep, etc." We could not.

After two hours wandering on a plateau, we arrived in the pikkedonker to a couple houses. The residents were run over by the thundering sound of our engines. As usual, we were invited to the tea. On a wood-fan heater in the room the berbervrouw gehurkt baked bread and eggs. Meanwhile ontdooiden our frozen toes and fortunately we were allowed under thick woollen blankets sheep creep in a departure where it was certainly below zero. The next morning was again baked bread and we drank tea. Around seven o'clock, we could prosecute our way and because we had a nice scrap of the route with an explanation arabic, it had to go with daylight succeed in Missour goals.

Yet I could not for a track to the north and came to discover our tracks through the snow from the day before against. Eventually Robert de son of the Berbers back of his motor, and that gave us the invisible rail noted. I think that there are already a few months no longer had driven 4x4. When we were on the ridge, we had a wonderful view of Missour, which according to the gps 64 kilometers as the crow flies. About the track was still a mile or 90 and that while our gasoline was running low. In Missour arrived, we could again call the volgauto. This, however, was already in a northerly direction departed.

Missour is a small town in the east of Morocco and is located halfway between Erfoud and Nador. From there, we are a ruk doorgereden to Nador (as a long-Dakar Liasson) where we as the nachtboot opreden. Morning we were be met at the port of Almeria, where Gert klaarstond with a taxi for us to drive to Paja DAF trucks, which would take account of our engines to the Netherlands. The same day, we have a flight to the Netherlands. The engines come this weekend at home and my engine will be displayed at the end of January on the motorbeurs in Utrecht, in the state of Damen Leathers.

 

[mika]

PaddockTalk.com

The Fundacion Dakar Solidario delivers the medical supplies in Mauritania

 

[voni]

If you're still missing the Dakar, maybe this will help:

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=23550&highlight=missing+dakar

Voni
sMiling