Motorcycle Nation Podcast

It was a game of follow the leader in Stage 6 and unfortunately it was along the wrong path. Chilean Lopez Contardo, who started off the stage this morning for the bikes, veered off course around km 23 and many followed him including Spanish KTM rider Mark Coma. Not a good way to start the day. Coma put on a great show for the rest of the stage and was able to pull off the stage win with some quick, aggressive riding. The overall standings find Cyril Despres in first followed by Contardo. Coma’s save places him in fourth. The USA’s Jonah Street continues to put on an impressive showing in seventh position.

Stage 6 was not without spills as Portugese rider Paulo Goncalves suffered a broken collar bone in a crash at km 195 on the special. Goncalves left Antofagasta as sixth rider. Only 106 motorcycles started the stage this morning, down fifty-four from the original rally start. Injuries and mechanical problems are taking their toll.

We will check back in with the ladies and our other remaining US rider Boinnard during Stage 7.

After missing out on updating the blog for a couple days, we return to some great news. As Stage 4 closed out today we find out that American KTM rider Jonah Street has moved from 14th position in the overall standings to 8th. The move up the leaderboard is the result of stages 2 through 4 finishes of 11th, 8th, and 15th. Street is 43′06″ behind the leader and still the top American rider. Ludovic Boinnard finds himself in 66th position over 5 hours off the leader’s pace but still moving up the leaderboard. Final USA rider Dirk Kessler failed to finish Stage 3 and is out of the race.

As for the ladies, Dutch rider Christina Meier brings up last place at position 118. Italian Silvia Giannetti has scraped to 79th overall and Swede Annie Seel continues to lead the ladies in a respectable 48th position, only 3h44′12′ off the leaders pace. If you caught the comment about Christina Meier bringing up the rear, you will notice that the motorcycle class has dropped 32 riders through the first 4 stages! Did I forget to tell you that this is a rigorous course?

Tomorrow, Stage 5 will take the riders on the second longest route at 668 km of which 483 km will be timed for placement purposes. This stage will move the riders from Capiopo to Antofagasta. They will experience some rocky terrain as well as Chilean fesh fesh, a very soft dirt that is very fine as well. If they are in a pack they will surely eat some dirt here. Frenchmen Despres and Casteu lead the two wheeler on the next stage with Despres leading by 8′53″ over his fellow countryman. These guys were considered two to beat from the very beginning and they are not disappointing.

We will be back tomorrow with Stage 5 results. Stay tuned for the update.

2010 kicks off with various rides all over the US with names like Hangover Rally and Frozen Bun Runs to name a few. But the biggest news in motorcycling to kick off the new year comes from Buenos Aires, Argentina as the 2010 Dakar rally kicks off. The Dakar Rally, seventeen days of the most rigorous off road motor racing, started today and will bring those lucky enough to finish the grueling race right back to Buenos Aires for the podium on January 17. Entrants race either motorcycles, quads, cars, or trucks. Merely saying trucks does not do justice to the monsters that tackle this course. Check out this so called truck.

But, we are here because we are enthusiasts of the two wheel kind, so our focus will be on the motorcycles. In the motorcycle class there are 34 countries and 12 different manufacturers represented. I plan on following the rally and will watch the leader board with my main focus on the American riders.

As I write this, Stage 1 shows that Frenchman David Casteu lead his fellow countryman Cyril Despres by 3 seconds at the end of the stage. Casteu finished the stage in 1h50′42″ over the 219 km sand and gravel covered terrain. American rider Jonah Street leads the home boys finishing the stage in 14th position. Fellow Americans Ludovic Boinnard pulled in 29th, 12′04″ behind the leader and Dirk Kessler completes 58′57″ behind the leader earning him the 139th position.

I am impressed that, in what may just be the most rigorous, physically taxing motorcycle races in the world, there are at least three female entrants in the bike class. Well, I think there are three. I don’t proclaim to be an expert on foreign female names so when I read through the entrants I leaned the way of a male when faced with one that could possibly go either way. Swede Annie Seel leads the ladies across the line in 45th position, 18′35″ behind Casteu.

Stage 2 will run on Sunday taking the participants from Cordoba to La Rioja. The terrain of the stage will change slightly while covering 294 km. We will be back with you tomorrow to check in on the Americans.

Ride Safe