Seventh overall, before today’s stage at Atar, David Fr?©tign?© (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha MF Gauloises Ipone) announced before the start that he would attack all day. The likeable Frenchman made the best of his Yamaha’s two wheel drive system during one of the toughest stages of this 27th edition where competitors had to negotiate everything from small dunes, over camel grass and huge dunes. Fr?©tign?© finished the day fin an excellent fourth overall, while his fellow countryman Cyril Despres (KTM) took his first win on this 2005 Dakar. Despres held a 10′08″ gap over second placed Meoni, third was Isidre Esteve at 12′24″, followed by David Fr?©tign?© at 12′51″ and Alfie Cox at 16′26″. Despres takes command of the overall with a 9′13 lead on Meoni. Fr?©tign?© is now sixth in provisional standings. Today’s race was also shocked by the death of Spanish rider Jos?© Manuel Perez who had suffered an accident during stage 7 to Tichit.

128 bikes are still in competition, and the battle for the overall win remained every bit as exciting. Cyril Despres was the man of the day claiming both his first special and the overall leadership of the Dakar 2005. Another revelation of the Atar stage was David Fr?©tign?©. The 30-year-old French started off in 15th spot and only 67 km 67 later, at the entry of a dune section, he caught up with Jean Brucy (KTM) who took off 4 minutes before him. Just another sign of David’s hunger and sheer speed it was only a matter of time before he passed Walch.

David finished fourth in the end and remains the solid leader in the super production class up to 450cc. Dutch Yamaha privateer Bas Verhoeven took a well-earned 14th overall on his WR450F and is now second in the production class. Tomorrow’s the competitors will go from Atar to Kiffa, dealing with another gruesome 656 km of special in the process.

7.15 p.m.
Due to bad weather conditions (strong winds, vision below 300 m) the officials have decided to reduce the length of tomorrow’s stage from the
original 656 km to 400 km.

Despres dominated dune stage
After a well deserved rest day on the Dakar usually follows a rather easy stage. For the previous years, the day after was designed to help the
participants getting accustomed to their bikes and used to the desert again. But this year the organizers had something different in mind. The 483 km special looping around Atar can surely be called one of the toughest stages, which was crossing through dunes, in the history of the Dakar. But one person was meant to conquer it all, without much trying as it seemed. Cyril Despres has made his imprint on this stage. He dominated it in a cunning way, won the day and has made his clear claim on the victory of this 27th edition of the toughest desert rally. When passing the finish line the Frenchman had a 10 minute and 8 seconds lead on Fabrizio Meoni, which his teammate clearly admired. “Early in the stage I caught up with Isidre Esteve. I had the impression that I was moving at a brisk pace. But when Cyril caught up with us I realized just who was riding fast today. This morning he had left 10 minutes after me.”

His joy about leading the overall standings was therefore short-lived. Now Despres has a clear 9’13 minutes lead. “Now the rally has really started,”
he smiled, “I have found my rhythm. My bike tipped over twice in the dunes, but I believe that has happened to everyone today. I didn’t run into any problems. I’m simply just happy!” We’ll have to wait and see what prints the pleasant young man will draw in the sand during the next days. It looks that he finally talks business.

The dunes of today’s stage have left a great impression on many. One of them is the man in third place, Isidre Esteve Pujol (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull, + 12’24). He claimed, “The dunes after the second CP were gigantic. Crossing them was very difficult for me.” Another competitor, Alfie Cox, who came in 6th today (+16’62) was deeply moved, “I have been riding the Dakar for quite some time now, but never before have I seen dunes like these. The sand was unbelievably deep and it surely was not an easy task to cross them!”

Marc Coma, a young promising talent from Spain, had to pay toll for his temperament today. Attacking had been on his agenda. But he had lost track of his fuel gauge. “In the beginning I really opened the throttle and was riding at a brisk pace, but I ran out of gasoline another 4 kilometers before the refueling spot. Luckily Jo Sala caught up with me quickly. It was for his help that I could ride on.” In the end he claimed a 5th spot (+ 14’
06). In the overalls he is in third (+ 16’02). It is worth a thought to imagine where Coma could rank now…

Andy Caldecott (place 7, + 18’51) learned the hard way today. “I’m still missing a great deal of experience riding the dunes. But that is why I’m
here. I want to learn.“ Scot Harden started riding with a handicap this morning. He explained, “Already on the last stage I had to make a wide step;
to almost spread my legs to a complete split. I pulled the muscle in my tight and it tore.” The doctors have done a maximum to treat it most
efficiently. “They did a great job. I still cannot walk all that well, but it is okay to sit and ride on a motorcycle.” Therefore the guy from the US
was satisfied arriving in Atar in the 20th spot (+ 1h23’57). After all he’ll still be able to keep on going.

Pal-Anders Ullevalseter on the other hand had to retire from the rally. The
KTM private rider crashed at kilometer 410 and broke his left shoulder. He
had to be transported via helicopter to the finish in Atar.

Today‚Äôs stage was overshadowed by sad news. Jos?© Manuel Perez died of severe inner injuries in the hospital at Alicante. On January 6th he had crashed just before CP 1 on the difficult stage from Zouerat to Tichit. The medical emergency staff transported him to the next bivouac at Zouerat immediately. An emergency operation followed. Still on the same day he was transported via Dakar to Alicante. Hans Trunkenpolz, KTM team manager, stated, ‚ÄúAfter Richard Sainct‚Äôs fatal accident we all know how it feels to loose someone. It is a very painful experience. We offer sympathy to the relatives.‚Äù

A 656 km stage is on tomorrow’s agenda. Until the participants reach the finish line in Kiffa (Mali) they will have to cross plenty of dunes and deep
sandy passages. Marc Coma and the others will have to keep an eye on their fuel gauge! Also Cyril Despres will have to pay close attention especially to the first part of the stage. Last year a crucial navigation mistake happened here and he ended up loosing more than half an hour. It is a mistake which shouldn’t happen again if he wants to stay ahead of the pack. They’ll cross through the valleys of the massive Tangat and ride along the rocky road to the Naga crossing.

Stage Results
1. Cyril Despres (Team KTM Gauloises)
2. Fabrizio Meoni (Team KTM Gauloises)                  + 10´08
3. Isidre Esteve Pujol (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull)               + 12´24
5. Marc Coma (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull)                         + 14´06
6. Alfie Cox (Team KTM Gauloises)                               + 16´26
7. Andy Caldecott (Team KTM Motorex Australia)          + 18´51
8. Giovanni Sala (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull)                     + 27´38
10. Kellon Walch (Team KTM Red Bull USA)                        + 44´44
11. Chris Blais (Team KTM Red Bull USA)                 + 52´56
13. Jean Brucy (Team KTM Gauloises)                             + 55´29
20. Scot Harden (Team KTM Red Bull USA)                         + 1h´23´57
43. David Schwarz (Team KTM Motorex Australia)          + 2h 36´06

Overall Results
1. Cyril Despres (Team KTM Gauloises)
2. Fabrizio Meoni (Team KTM Gauloises)                  + 9´13
3. Marc Coma (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull)                 + 16´02
4. Isidre Esteve Pujol (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull)               + 19´38
5. Alfie Cox (Team KTM Gauloises)                               + 19´55
7. Andy Caldecott (Team KTM Motorex Australia)          + 37´45
8. Giovanni Sala (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull)                     + 1h 12´31
10. Chris Blais (Team KTM Red Bull USA)                 + 1h 52´59
11. Kellon Walch (Team KTM Red Bull USA)                        + 2h 41´04
13. Jean Brucy (Team KTM Gauloises)                             + 2h 54´19
18. Scott Harden (Team KTM Red Bull USA)                        + 4h 46´26
33. David Schwarz (Team KTM Motorex Australia)          + 9h 28´16

A restless bivouac

Anything but peaceful! Early this afternoon a sandstorm raged through the
bivouac in Atar. And some of the KTM teams are certainly not in a good mood.
The reason for that were penalties handed out by the race organizers. Due to
them the overall standings were changed around completely.
Fabrizio Meoni was punished because he had left the allowed space, which
runs along both sides of the route, on the first part of the marathon stage
on Thursday. “I am really mad. What a funny regalement. I had ‚Äì
unfortunately - left the given path alongside the track and therefore had
missed two of the so called waypoints, virtual GPS point. I was punished
with a 10 min penalty; five minutes for each waypoint.” Thus Fabrizio lost
his lead in the overall standings.
Alfie Cox described this new rule as out-of-touch. According to it,
competitors are allowed on a 3.3 km wide path, only. “Yesterday I wanted to
ride on a route which seemed promising to me. It was Fabrizio who held me
back and told me that I would be leaving the allowed path by doing so. That’
s when I asked myself – what nonsense. If I cannot decide which route I want
to take - soon it‚Äôs no longer a race.”

In the bivouac in Atar discussions erupted between the team managers and the
A.S.O. Claudia Patuzzi, manager for the teams KTM Gauloises, “Okay, Fabrizio
had left the allowed path, but it would only be fair if the GPS equipment of
all the riders are checked. Further, I think, it isn’t right if competitors
like Fabrizio get themselves lost, due to a mistake they make, loose time
and then get an additional time penalty for it. A regulation where everyone
has to ride on the very same track from A to B surely isn’t according to
what the Dakar is all about. The great challenge to find the optimal route
by precise navigation is totally annulled by that.” The A.S.O. insists on
the regalement, but has changed the penalties. Instead of punishing the
offender with 5 min for each left-out waypoint it is now one minute. With
that Fabrizio Meoni grabs the overall leadership again. He has a one minute
margin on Cyril Despres and about three minutes on Marc Coma.

Andy Caldecott dropped from 3rd to 8th place. He was punished for exceeded
speeding. “Four days ago I must have been speeding on a liaison. It was 5
a.m. in the morning and the vision was terrible when I headed towards a
village. I knew there must be a speed trap, but it wasn’t located within the
village. It was set up right in front of it. When I passed it I was still a
bit over the speed limit. Due to the 17 min penalty I have lost my tight
grip on the top riders. That‚Äôs bitter.”

Some facts about life in the bivouac: Mechanics have a field day today. They
take the bikes carefully apart, check each individual part and prepare them
for the second part of the rally. For Team KTM Repsol Red Bull all engines
are changed. “The complete team made the decision; it wasn‚Äôt for the
mechanics to decide this,” explains Manel Salinas, mechanic for Marc Coma,
“Safety is most important. Otherwise we also change wearing parts, like the
chain, the air and oil filters as well as prepare an oil change.” Service
for Team KTM Gauloises works totally different. Marc Weber, mechanic for
Jean Brucy, states, “I‚Äôm not going to change the engine. It runs flawlessly.
We’ve engaged a pressure-loss check, changed the sparks and checked the
carburetor. I‚Äôll probably also renew the clutch.”

Fabrizio Meoni is going to take off with a new engine tomorrow. His mechanic
Romeo Feliciani explains, “I‚Äôd rather change the engine. If there is a brake
down I will be the one to be blamed. One never knows exactly just where or
why parts might be worn or cracked.”

Team manager Hans Trunkenpolz claims, “Each team work autonomously from one
another. It’s what we have wanted them to do. That is a very positive
development in my eyes. One feels a healthy distance between Team Gauloises
and Team Repsol-Red Bull.”

All riders are healthy. “All riders are offered a massage to loosen their
muscles,” explains physiotherapist Ralph Pariasek, “Fabrizio always demands
a special massage for his back. Alfie’s shoulder has to be bandaged again;
it helps to stabilize it. All truck drivers are treaded for sore backs.”

The crews of the T4 trucks from KTM have done fantastical so far.

Silent heroes
They sit in their MAN trucks and race across the track: two trucks, which
carry spare parts for KTM on board. In case they are needed they can provide
fast assistance. Peter Reif, Gunter Pichlbauer and Stefan Huber make up the
crew for the race truck with the starting number 543. Stefan Huber, in
charge of the motorcycle repair, talks about his effort, “It is the first
time I’m part of a truck crew and I think it is great. Both of the others
are old hands and know exactly what they are doing. Peter chases the truck
across the tracks, just as others run a car. And Gunter is an excellent
navigator.” So far the crew‚Äôs help during the race hasn‚Äôt been needed much.
Nevertheless the specials weren‚Äôt easy. “Oftentimes we are on the road until
late at night,” claims experienced Dakar member Peter Reif, “Sometimes you
don’t know what is going on just a few meters in front of you; what
obstacles are hidden.” The guys were lucky with their fuel on the marathon
stage. While others run out of fuel on the way to Tichit their MAN truck
made it, but barely. Peter Reif remembers, “I looked at my fuel gauge and it
was almost empty. I was driving almost at a walking pace, but luckily we
made it.”

The same is true for the second KTM race truck as well. It is driven by Karl
Sadlauer, navigated by Franz Maier, with Martin Mayer as the third member
aboard. They chase after the motorcycle riders and provide help especially
for the KTM amateurs. The private rider’s angles were a blessing for anyone
being stranded in the desert on the 7th stage. But the crew (starting number
542) has more to offer than just gasoline. “The guys out there sometimes
just need someone to talk to,” explains Karl Sadlauer, “I guess one could
call us a psychological aid on four wheels.”
Sadlauer, Reif and Co. – everyone on the trucks, accomplishes great things
day after day. When they aren’t racing they help where they can. And when
they don’t help they are racing. It is certainly true that the spare part
supply trucks should be up front as well. Because the faster they are the
less time the motorcycle riders lose in case of a brake-down. The
motorcyclists are full of gratitude and this is the pay for the undergone
drudgery.

Tomorrow the competitors have to challenge a 483 km and extremely tough
special. It loops around the bivouac in Atar. The organizers call it the
most difficult dunes of the rally. They are located in the Erg El Beyyed.
Before they are reached the participants will have to climb the Thanga
crossing. The weather in Mauritania makes the stage even more difficult.
There is still a strong wind blowing and the vision is extremely low. This
afternoon the desert faced another phenomenon: It started to rain!

2:00 p.m.
8th stage – Gone with the wind

The wind is continuously raging in the Mauritanian desert and the 7th stage
of the Rally Dakar is still going on. Several motorcyclists, cars and trucks
are still trying to reach yesterdays bivouac in Tichit. Therefore, A.S.O.
has decided to cancel the 8th stage from Tichit to Tidjikja. Meanwhile the
drivers out in the Mauritanian desert are supplied with food via
helicopters. Most urgently they need gasoline. A.S.O. has made a crucial
mistake during the preparation for this 660 km special. Claudia Patuzzi,
manager of Team KTM Gauloises explains, “All of the drivers who reached the
finish yesterday were almost out of gasoline and only barely made it. Supply
of gasoline was a major problem. At CP 2 each of the competitors was given
20 liters only. A.S.O. had not warned about it at their briefing the day
before yesterday. Keeping the advantages of a light bike in mind, at CP 1
our motorcyclists refueled just enough to make it to CP 2. Even cars and
trucks ran into problems because of that. Many participants ran out of gas
in the middle of the desert.”

All of the KTM factory riders arrived at last night’s destination. At the
bivouac in Tichit KTM had pitched up a huge, white Berber tent for the
riders. There they all spent the night. Nobody had to pitch up his own tent
during the sandstorm. Both KTM service trucks, which take part in the race
as well, made it safely to the bivouac. Their main function is to provide
rapid assistance to the riders. The truck with Peter Reif, Gunther
Pichlbauer and Stefan Huber came in 7th and the truck with the crew: Karl
Sadlbauer, Franz Maier and Martin Mayer crossed the finish line 11th. A
great success! In the overall both MAN trucks from KTM rank in 8th and 9th
position.

Early this afternoon Park Ferm?© was opened up. The bicyclists were allowed
to repair their bikes. All mechanics are already in Tidjikja, therefore the
teammates had to make repairs themselves. Both, Fabrizio Meoni and Alfie
Cox, changed the air filter on their bikes. Fabrizio was not in such a good
mood. “I suffered two low blows yesterday. At first the officials canceled
the mass start and then I had to navigate myself to allow the others to
follow my tracks. I rode very carefully to be easy on my equipment. This
would allow me to attack the next day, but now they canceled today’s stage!”
Cyril Despres was indifferent about the decision. “It really does not make a
difference if I race the 130 km or none at all. Nothing is going to be
decided on 130 km anyways. Why should I get all upset about it, that’s
racing! Safety is most important! Right now, no helicopter can start and no
medical assistance can leave.”

The American team seemed to be relieved. “Yesterday’s stage was extremely
tough,” said Joe Barker, “That they canceled the second part of this
strenuous stage is good for us. The chances that all three teammates will
arrive in Dakar are rising.”

Right now, the team managers and their motorcyclists work on a new tactic
for the next stages. Jordi Arcarons from Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull explains,
“Today we would have had a great chance to attack. Marc Coma’s time margin
on Cyril Despres is not all that big. Now we need to rethink it.”

Let’s just hope that it will be possible to race tomorrow’s stage from
Tidjikja to Atar. 361 km are going to be judged. The special is
extraordinary fast. Only at the end the dunes of the Erg Chinguetti demand
special riding skills.

At the moment the weather forecast looks bad. A sandstorm raves around
Tidjikja which makes it impossible to land the airplanes of the assistance
crews with the managers and journalists etc. They are going straight on to
Atar. The motorcyclists however are riding the liaison to Tidjikja.

9:25 p.m.
A.S.O. pulls emergency brake

A dramatic evening. 80 percent of the rally’s participants are still out in
the desert. The officials of the rally have therefore decided that only 130
km of tomorrows 2nd part of the marathon stage will be judged. The starting
time is delayed to 10 a.m. With that A.S.O. allows drivers who arrive late
at night the bivouac to rest at least for a few hours.

An extreme stage between dunes, grass and wind

Today’s heroes lie and sit totally exhausted in the bivouac and a sandstorm
battles above their heads. This stage was one of a kind, even for the more
experienced competitors. “It was a true Dakar day. Strenuous, with low
vision and tons of camel grass,” exclaims Alfie Cox. He celebrated his
birthday today and it seems he enjoyed the 660 km nevertheless. He came in 7
minutes behind the leader and was able to claim a 4th place. He seems to be
comfortable with that. Cyril Despres reached the finish line just before
him. “I had a hard time seeing anything. Never before have I crossed a 400
km stretch which constituted completely of camel grass. It was extremely
difficult.” Cyril lost the overall lead to Marc Coma, the second fastest on
the day. Coma is 16 seconds ahead of Despres. Andy Caldecott and Alfie Cox
came in tied (+5’40) in 3rd place.

The second part of the special proved to be selective today. Until CP 2 at
kilometer 397 the young American Kellon Walch led the pack. A miracle since
he started off relying on pain killers. He too, took a dig into the sand
yesterday, falling twice off his bike. But it was yet to happen again.
“Right after CP 2 I fell several times,” explains Walch, “It cost a lot of
time. It was also extremely difficult to find the tracks. I clung to a rider
in front of me and I followed him. I was lucky that my bike ran flawlessly.”

Joe Barker, deputy US team chief, was satisfied with his boys. “Kellon and
Chris race very well. Undoubtedly it was a difficult stage today. The dunes
at home have a totally different structure. I’m satisfied that the boys made
it across the finish line. It is a plus that they achieved such
extraordinary placements.” This was also due to the services of John
Edwards, doctor of the team. This morning he was working hard. “I mixed
protein and electrolyte drinks. The guys have to survive the next two most
strenuous days. I need to give them all the help I can.” The wellness
package also included a relaxing and refreshing back massage for each of his
boys. His help was successful as one can see.

Gio Sala also showed team spirit during the race. He provided Isidre Esteve
with desperately needed gasoline. The Spaniard took along less than he
needed. Anyone who still needed to repair the bike had to tackle these
problems on the course of the stage. After crossing the finish line only
refueling was possible. For the night the motorcycles are kept in Parc
Ferm?©, which is placed a few hundred meters away from the bivouac. Last
night the team managers advised their riders to pay attention to their
equipment. Claudia Patuzzi, Team KTM Gauloises, explains, “All of them are
taking along a few spare parts. For example: one or two tubes. And they
certainly also carry along a few personal items for the night. The service
trucks bypass this bivouac and are already continuing on to the next bivouac
in Tidjikja.”

One of the teammates could not continue on with the race this morning: Carlo
de Gavardo. After yesterday’s bad crash he bruised his back that he couldn’t
move at all this morning. He father states, “Carlo felt like an old guy of
100 years. He was in pain with every move he made.” Pulling out of the race
is tough for Carlo. After several injuries during the previous years he is
mentally in great shape again. KTM team manager Hans Trunkenpolz is equally
disappointed, “Carlo’s retiring from the race takes away our chance to
document the efficiency of the 450 KTM. The day before yesterday, Carlo took
care of Jordi Duran and stayed with him after his severe crash. And
yesterday Carlo suffered a bad crash as well and finished the stage very
cautiously. For sure he would be leading his class, if these two things hadn
’t happened. No matter what, we will continue on with our concept. It is the
right way to keep on going with this motorcycle.”

After a short night the competitors head for Tidjikja early tomorrow
morning. 520 km out of the 538 km will be judged. Once again the
participants will face the vastness of sand. Between the dunes, passages are
hidden, which lead to the finish. It will be a challenge for navigational
fans!

9:00 p.m.
It came like a real whopper for all the participants of the Dakar in the
evening: The service tent of the bivouac burned down completely. Thank god
no one was hurt. How high the damage is and what effects this has on the
ongoing Dakar is still unknown.

Day of the cunning old desert devils
There were two words that were heard everywhere in the bivouac in Zouerat
today: fucking wind. The strong wind on the course was quite difficult for
the drivers. Whenever a driver left prints in the sand, they were gone
within seconds. “From time to time one wasn’t able to see a thing”, said
Chris Blais. The young American who has never driven in Africa before, has
drawn the right conclusions for himself. “The course was really fast and my
bike worked wonders. But now and then I wasn’t sure which track to chose.
Thus, I let the number 11 (Marek Dabrowski, KTM –edit. comment) pass and
followed him afterwards. That’s how I learn best. And I am satisfied with my
ride today.” Chris Blais came in 10th and lost 17 minutes on the winner of
the day. A respectable result.

This first Mauritanian stage has definitely mixed up the rankings. It was
the first long stage through endless fields of dunes. The wind didn’t
facilitate this task. Those, who know the Mauritanian desert like the back
of their hand were able to deal with the challenge best. Today, no one was
faster than Fabrizio Meoni. Whoever thought the 47-year-old was going on
this Dakar to only take part in it, was wrong. Fabrizio showed off his
skills. “For me, it was a test today to see whether my brain still
functions. Whether I can go fast and at the same time be able to navigate. I
am quite satisfied. I could have been even faster. But 80 km before the
finish my mousse broke at the back tire and it started this rolling motion
in the rim. That’s why I had to reduce speed. But other then that it went
well.

Alfie Cox (today 3rd place) and Cyril Despres (4th) were satisfied with
their race and navigation skills, too. By contrast did Jean Brucy (12th) and
Carlo de Gavardo (15th) have bad luck. Carlo almost lost half an hour on
Meoni. He fell and overturned his bike during the stage. His ride went on a
little slower. At the moment, Carlo is limping through the bivouac but wants
to be in the race tomorrow again. Jean had his bad luck already on the
liaison at the start. “Yes, this stage today was longer for me than for the
others. My front break stopped working 15 km into the stage. I turned around
and went back to the bivouac to wake my mechanics. Marc fixed it and I went
back to the start. Unfortunately, I was three minutes late at the start.”
Jean is now waiting for whatever penalty the organizers will impose.

Cyril Despres took over the lead in the overall ranking, followed by Marc
Coma (+0´35) and Fabrizio Meoni (+1´16).

During this 27th Dakar, we also want to spend some time looking at the men
and women again, who go on the toughest rally of the desert and are the real
heroes often wrongfully forgotten:

The secret heroes
He is an impressive guy, Kevin Heath. Born in South-Africa, he was later
drawn to California, U.S.A.. Building electronic go-karts he managed to pay
for his living. With his earnings he tries to get over his creative crisis.
The 46-year-old giant blinks an eye and says: “I have my midlife crisis. In
this difficult period of life some buy their selves a Porsche to impress
young women. Others are looking for a challenge in order to proof something
to their selves. I am one of them.” Kevin Heath wanted three of his dreams
to come true: participating in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE),  in
the Baja 500 and 1000 and in the Dakar.
ISDE and Baja he has already done. Now he is at his biggest dream, the
Dakar.  Heath is going on this rally with a KTM, supported by the KTM
Costumer Service. But the man with the starting number 118 is not only a
pilot. As many others, Heath likes to screw onto his motorcycle at night in
the camp so that his bike is ready for the next day. “I need this challenge.
But it would be too difficult without any help. That’s why I decided to work
with the KTM Costumer Service”, claims Heath.
His goal is to reach Dakar. Which place? Doesn’t matter as much as simply
arriving. And when he crosses the podium at Lac Rose, then, his third wish
has come true as well.
Whether his midlife crisis is over then? The answers might be found on
www.kevinsmidlifecrisis.com .

>From the beginning on, there was one problem that took a lot of energy out
of the private divers: the batteries.
There is another statement of the KTM team management about that:
“The batteries of several private riders have been discharging during the
motorcycle downtime. An immediate check of KTM on the spot  has resulted in
the conclusion that all power supply components, as well as the security
devices which have been newly specified by the organiser, have no negative
influence on the batteries. Due to the fact that models of the last three
years of manufacturing seem to be affected, the reason of these problems
comes primarily from individual installation issues.
Irrespective of fact finding, the point is now to help the private riders.
KTM assists all competing pilots to the highest possible extent with spare
parts and batteries from the factory teams. The two “KTM Racing Trucks” are
integrated in the assistance and may support private riders also during the
stages.
Moreover, additional replacement batteries have been delivered by airplane
two days ago. Onboard the plane was an electronic engineer of KTM, who has
been and will be assisting the riders in correcting the problem.”

Tomorrow, there will be the first part of a difficult marathon stage waiting
for the drivers. 660 km will count for the ranking – the longest special of
the rally! Big parts of the course are new to the old hands as well.
Additionally, the start will be in a line up of 20 drivers at a time. The
stage of tomorrow has it all: the difficult pass El Ghallaoiya surrounded by
rock formations, far reaching dunes, many little ergs, tricky camel grass
and at the end only a small possible path into the oasis of Tichit. There is
no service allowed in the bivouac. The drivers have to take care of the
bikes alone.

There she was, the first African stage. And she was quite cruel. One of the
young Spanish matadors had to already give up today. Jordi Duran’s dream of
arriving in Dakar suddenly vanished in the Moroccan sand. Going high speed,
Jordi happened to fall really hard off his bike just before CP 1. He broke
his thigh and additionally has an open fracture in his forearm. Because of
this, he was flown to a hospital in Agadir right away.
It is a sad moment for Jordi who had planned so much more. Also a great
shock for his teammates Marc Coma, Isidre Esteve and Gio Sala. “It was a
typical Moroccan stage”, said Marc Coma later in the bivouac. “Stones
everywhere. If you don’t pay attention for one single moment, then this is
it. I know exactly how Jordi must feel now. Last year I dropped out after
falling badly as well. Not only am I really sorry for Jordi because he is my
friend but also because he is a great teammate. He has always livened things
up and always smiled. It is such a pity.”

Coma himself did great on the rocky track. He came in second in today’s
ranking. Only 3 seconds faster than him was the Australian Andy Caldecott.
Caldecott had been on a few top places in the previous year already. But
today he was quite surprised of his success. “Actually, I drove very
carefully due to the sharp stones. Additionally, there was an instruction in
the road book every couple of meters, therefore one needed to be very
concentrated. That’s why I really didn’t expect this result.” Andy Caldecott
had to give up the race after falling down and breaking his ankle a year ago
in Atar. This year he definitely wants to reach Dakar. “That’s my first
priority. And if everything goes well, I would like to be under the top 5.”

Alfie Cox was just as satisfied with his race as Andy Caldecott today.
Coming in almost six minutes behind Caldecott he ranks 4th place. But:
Everything still went well. My shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore which was most
important on this first real stage. I also had to slow down 40 km before the
finish line. The mousse in the back wheel was damaged.”

Scott Harden was fighting against the material- consuming- course, too. 160
km before the finish he had a stone flying into his back break disc. Thus,
he couldn’t use the break anymore. “That obviously was a huge drawback”, as
claimed by the American team manager. “I wasn’t able to risk anything
anymore and I lost almost half an hour.”

Although he came in third, Cyril Despres walked through the bivouac really
unsatisfied. His two trip masters played a trick on him and indicated
different data which didn’t quite facilitate the orientation on this rather
fast track. And then he felt he was put at a disadvantage by the organizers.
Claudia Patuzzi, team manager, explains: “Cyril claims to have been at the
CP 2 one minute before Marc Coma and to have gotten gas just as everyone
else. But the commissioners supposedly put him back on track together with
Marc. We will now check this on the basis of the course records.”

Nevertheless, due to his fast speed Marc Coma took over the lead in the
overall standing today. On the following places are Andy Caldecott (+ 0´43)
and Cyril Despres (+2´45).

Tomorrow there will be a very difficult and also long course of 492 km
waiting for the drivers. Zouerat, Mauritania, is the destination. Whoever
loves dunes and knows how to navigate quite well will love that challenge.
The others could be loosing a lot of time within the dunes…
…

France’s David Fr?©tign?© (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha MF Gauloises Ipone) put in a strong performance in the seventh stage, winning the longest special of the 2005 Dakar between Zou?©rat and Tichit. Fr?©tign?©’s third win, after Barcelona and Grenada, sees him moving to sixth overall. The gap between him and Marc Coma, the new leader in provisional standings is now 8′09.

190 bikes left in Zou?©rat for 669 km, and no less than 660 km of special in the first ‘marathon’ stage of the Dakar. Because of the extremely poor
visibility conditions, keeping nine helicopters grounded, the organization decided to cut down on the length of the stage. Some learn quicker than others and this goes certainly for the 33-year-old Fr?©tign?© in what is only his second Dakar participation. Until now David was mostly known for his dominance in the short super-specials, but in the longest special of the 2005 Dakar he confirmed his stunt from last year in Ayoun-el-Atrous.
Fr?©tign?© rode a smart and calculated race, leaving the lead in the first half of the race to newcomer Kellon Walch. However the young American could not keep this elevated rhythm during the second half finishing 20 minutes behind Fr?©tign?©. The last 263kms, being extremely technical, took even the best riders more than 4 hours. The soft sand of Mauritania was an ideal playground for David Fr?©tign?© finishing with a 3′31 advantage on Coma and 5′22 on Despres.

The Spaniard Coma takes the leadership in the overall with only sixteen seconds on Despres. Halfway through the Dakar rally, the bike event is a
real thriller with the first six riders (Coma, Despres, Caldecott, Cox, Meoni and Fr?©tign?©) all very close.

“Today was really crazy”, said Fr?©tign?© after a 600 exhausting kilometers, “to end the day winning was something I did not even dare to dream. “The stage was long and physically demanding. Until 400 km we were close together with seven riders. We did 300 km together, and when I stopped for fuel I saw that Meoni and Depres were still there. I quickly calculated how long I had started after them and I then realized that I had not lost a lot of time on them. I immediately started attacking after that on a camel track of 100 kilometers. I did the last 50 kilometers out of breath just pushing myself to finish. I gave it everything I had and in the end I took more than 4 minutes on Coma. This was the longest stage of the rally and I’m very happy that I won it. My bike behaved perfectly and I did and extensive check of all the parts in the bivouac but everything is fine.”

Because of the extreme sandstorm in the seventh stage (Zouerat-Tichit), and many participants arriving in the bivouac extremely late, the organizers decided to cancel the specials of the Tichit-Tidjikja stage. On Friday morning 10 o’ clock only 96 bikes, 59 cars and 27 trucks left for Tichit.

The 11th day of the Dakar rally was one of deep sadness after the tragic death of Fabrizio Meoni. Meoni died after a crash at km 184.85 of the stage between Atar and Kiffa. At 10.15 David Fr?©tign?© (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha MF Gauloises Ipone) was the first at the place of the crash, and immediately activated his emergency beacon. A helicopter arrived at 10.36 and doctors and the doctors treated the champion for 45 minutes. However, the two-time Dakar winner, aged 47, died of his injuries at 11.11. The Dakar rally has been deeply affected by the death of Fabrizio Meoni.

Riders have expressed the wish not to compete on stage 12 between Kiffa and Bamako, and the rally organization has therefore decided, in accordance with the riders, to cancel the special and to take by airplane the competitors and their bikes to Bamako. Coma won yesterday’s stage before Despres en Esteve. Fr?©tign?© came home 11th. Dutch privateer Bas Verhoeven (Yamaha WR450F) rode to an excellent seventh. Courageous Belgian Jeroen Ramon still leads the production 1 class on his trusty WR250F. Provisional standings remain unchanged at the top with Depres leading, Coma is second at 14′50, Esteve is third and Fr?©tign?© is fifth.

David Fr?©tign?© was understandably unavailable for comments after the race, but Jean-Claude Olivier, managing director of Yamaha Motor France and himself a former Dakar rider said: ‘At the same time I’m lost for words and shocked, but this is unfortunately the hard reality of racing. Of course my condolences go to the family and friends of Fabrizio. Meoni was a great champion, a charismatic and talented rider who will keep a special place for all who love the Dakar.”

The 27th Dakar – KTM about to make history

That has never happened in the history of the Dakar before: One motorbike brand could be taking over the lead for the fifth time in a row - KTM. Up until now, Richard Sainct, Fabrizio Meoni and Nani Roma were able to win the most difficult rally in the world on KTM. The bikes from Mattighofen are now in the position to pass BMW and Yamaha, which have also won four times. Due to the best drivers riding on KTM, the chances are looking great! However, one of the best drivers is missing: the three-time Dakar winner Richard Sainct. In autumn, Richard was killed in an accident during the Pharaoh’s-Rally in Egypt. Though, he is always on the other drivers minds and his spirit rides with them. “Every single one of us misses him”, says Claudia Patuzzi, manager of the Team KTM Gauloises. “Not a single day passes without thinking of Richard. Losing him has made us develop a great deal of team spirit. All of us are motivated to win the Dakar. This Dakar is dedicated to Richard!”

Moreover, the organizers of the rally have decided to not approve the starting number one this year. Since last year’s winner Nani Roma is riding
in a car this year, Richard as second-best, would have been entitled to this number. Because of him passing away, Cyril Despres would have been the third to be authorized to ride as number one. But Cyril does not want to. “It would have been Richard’s right”, claims the young French driver, who starts the race as one of the favorites.

After his second and third place in the last two years, Cyril Despres wants to finally win it. However, his has strong competitors. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Meoni is dreaming of his third Dakar win. He actually ended his career in January in order to spend more time with his family. Nevertheless, the “matador” is back. And if Meoni races he does not simply race for fun. But maybe Alfie Cox is able to be up front. Or will there be an unexpected win? For instance, Isidre Esteve Pujol from the Spanish team KTM Repsol-Red Bull has set him self the following goal: I do have real chances to win. I am well prepared, my bike is super. Last year I helped Nani to get through. I think now it is my turn.”

This is how the KTM factory pilot teams are put together: The Frenchmen Cyril Despres and Jean Brucy, the Italian driver Fabrizio Meoni and the South-African Alfie Cox will run for the Team KTM Gauloises. For the Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull, the Spanish drivers Marc Coma, Isidre Esteve Pujol and Jordi Duran as well as the Italien old hand Giovanni Sala will be riding. For the second time, the Team KTM Red Bull USA takes part in the race with the following drivers: Scott Harden, Kellon Walch and Chris Blais. Brand new is the Team KTM Motorex Australia, which Andy Caldecott and David Schwarz are riding for. Carlo de Gavardo has set up the one-man-Team KTM de Gavardo.

All factory pilots are riding on one cylinder bikes. A change in the regulations which is no problem for KTM. Team manager Hans Trunkenpolz
claims: “It is no surprise to us that the two cylinder bikes are no longer accepted within the regulations. In fact, there would have been time until 2006, but we already decided voluntarily to take back the twins at the beginning of 2004. In return, we expect the organizers to keep the open class. Therfore, we speak up and wanted to set a sign with the renunciation of the two cylinder bikes. Next to the class of the 450, which we participate in as well, there should still be an open class with more then 450 ccm. That is what we, KTM, stand up for.”

For the last three days, the technical scrutinizing has been taking place in Barcelona. The motorbikes are checked to find out if they correspond to the regulations, whether their emergency equipment is complete, whether the GPS functions properly. Drivers have to proof that they have all their papers with them: registration, driver’s license, insurance card, ticket for the passage on the ship, and so on. The KTM team proofed to be well prepared: “Our motorbikes are all fine.”, said Hans Trunkenpolz. “We prepared our selves for the Dakar very effectively and thoroughly. All teams passed the final test together. The bikes meet the drivers expectations.“

For the fourth time the Dakar starts in Spain and for the first time in Barcelona. A belated present for Nani Roma. The Catalan won the Dakar in January on a KTM as the first Spanish driver. Meanwhile, Roma has switched to a Mitsubishi.

The 27th sequence of the rally is about 3000 km shorter than in the previous year. The course was planned the way that not only the power of the bikes should decide over win and defeat but also driving skills as well as navigation and orientation knowledge, claimed the organizers. The 16 stages comprehend 5431 km of special scrutiny going through Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal. The longest stage will be the one on New Year’s Day starting in Barcelona going to Granada with a total of 920 km. The longest ranking stage with 660 km will go from Zouerat to Tichit. The shortest stage and shortest special stage is the prologue special tomorrow: 6 out of 50 km will be judged.

In any case, we keep at it for you daily. Stay tuned!