Enduro

The Bird is Still Flying

Cyril Despres started the today’s stage, although with a heavy taped shoulder. The KTM Gauloises last year’s winner of the Dakar has put in all his courage and temper in this race. Despres also took the start of the special test of 499 kilometres, one of the longest of the race, and maybe one of the most difficult. Protected by his team-mate Michel Gau, the irreducible Frenchman gritted facing intolerable pain and proceeded with the leading group. Despres pushed himself beyond the pain and crossed the dunes of the first very hard off piste section. At kilometer 257 he was signalled as stopped, but not defeated by yesterday’s injury. But he only reduced his speed in order to check the situation. The story is not finished. Despres regained some positions, and at the CP2 the delay of the French champion was less than 20 minutes, and only 30 at the finish. Without any doubt an exceptional exploit. His finish result is far from his possibilities, but the blue bird, even if one of his wings is broken, is still flying.

Marc Coma is Still the Leader. Cyril Despres is Approaching.

Despres (Gauloises KTM) wins the stage, and Coma (Repsol KTM) is still leading, but first of all the today’s stage has not been as difficult as announced. A long stage of more than 800 kilometres, of course, almost all run in the Adraa valley, a dry riverbed that crosses the southern Moroccan region. Only some technical passages, and many stones on the tack, but this is household in this Country. Isidre Esteve navigated almost all the morning, but the main advantage of the work of the Spaniard was taken by his Gauloises KTM team-mate Cyril Despres. At the finish Despres was first. Due to the different starting positions, Marc Coma suffered the today’s special test but is still leading the race, but his previous advantage on Cyril Despres has been reduced to one minute and a half. So from now the race will probably be characterized by this kind of alternating “train game

Two Spaniards ad “The Bike

Then Africa… And The Double Andys’ Day

Do You remember the scenery we was speaking about in our first contact? We are there now. Europeis now a souvenir, Mediterranean sea also. From now the main scene will be filled of the colours of the desert. Deep, dazzling blue an shining yellow in the first part of the journey, then red soil and green trees in the following one. Until the blue ocean. Anywhere a consisting risk of foggy dust. Not in Er Rachidia, the small town that the riders joined this afternoon at the end of the last connection section of the stage. In this scenario the pilots sometimes will meet rock mountains and plateaux, but rarely. For sure they will encounter any kind of difficulties along their long travel across northern African mainland. But for the moment any kilometre covered by the riders is useful to the riders in order to tuning the bikes and themselves. It is very important to synchronize the characteristic of the conduit with that ones of the track. For example. Today’s stage was long and fast. Not the two transfer sections of 237 and 121 kms, but mainly the special test of 312 km. The riders encountered many changes of direction, and they have to face a speed limit monitor for the first time. “For me it was an annoying stage

Faria 1st the Stage, Esteve 1st Overall
Well, Ruben Faria, who was 2nd in the yesterday stage, has won the second special test of the Dakar 2006. Over the 115 kilometres between Portimao and the extreme South of the Algarve region, the Portuguese feeds the rumours of a special prize to be assigned to a native winner in the European part of the race. But last night Faria was penalized because of a late entry in the parc fermé. 12 heavy minutes. So the last chance was wasted. In fact the best overall pilot after two legs is Isidre Esteve, the Spanish that has passed in the KTM Gauloises Team just before this Dakar. In the today’s stage Esteve finished in second position.

Cyril Despres Wins the First Stage

Five o’ clock in the morning. An ACDC Cover is the wake-up bell for Cyril Despres. The last year winner is approaching his first day of race. His number one reflects the honour and the duty of the champion of the Dakar. All the Team KTM Gauloises is working around the French champion. Former enduro champion Eric Bernard is absolutely concentrated on his new job. He is now the Manager of the “Blue

The “Armada

Las Vegas is set to be invaded by Off-Road riders and enthusiasts November 18-19th. The second annual Endurocross is coming to the Orleans Arena in the Orleans Hotel and Casino and promises to display some of the most exciting racing spectators will see this year.

Last years’ indoor Off-Road event saw the lead exchanged multiple times; there was no guessing who was in contention for the overall win. The treacherous course contained logs, tires, water sections, and a steep rock wall that ultimately decided the riders’ fate.

An exhausting course, complete with the elements listed above will still be included in this years’ course, and will host the same format, utilizing starting gates, qualifying heats and a Last Chance Qualifier to transfer to the main event. According to the Endurocross USA website, “Ten riders total earn a spot on the start line of the Maxxis Endurocross for Saturday nights event and will race against the invited Pro riders for Championship Title and Purse.“ The finest Off-Road riders from American and Europe will be invited.

Husqvarna Racing’s AJ Roberts has wrapped up the inaugural Australian OffRoad Championship after finishing 2nd and 4th outright in rounds 7&8 held at Aratula over the weekend.

With two rounds remaining in the Series, Roberts has accumulated enough championship points to post an unbeatable lead after only eight rounds of the ten round series. The weekend’s results have increased Roberts’ lead to 51 points over nearest rival Jehi Willis, and with only 50 points available in the last two rounds, the Australia OffRoad title has been secured.

“Although it won’t be official until after the last round, the feeling is hard to put into words. The year has been a dream for me, first getting a factory ride with Husqvarna, and now securing the Australian title,

Husqvarna Racing’s AJ Roberts extended his championship lead at rounds 5 & 6 of the Australian Off Road Series at Wodonga over the weekend.

Roberts, fresh from the ISDE team camp at the AIS facility, was confident of a big weekend despite carrying several injuries suffered at the Queensland Enduro the previous week. The absence of nearest rival Brad Williscroft, although unfortunate, offered Roberts the chance to put a sizeable gap between himself and second place; a chance that he grabbed.

With weeks of rain leading up to Round 5, the technical track was extremely water logged making the racing a little trickier, especially through the tight sections. Roberts lapped up the wet conditions with a flawless ride through all sections of the day, taking the outright win by over 25 seconds ahead of second place Jehi Willis, with Ben Grabham filling the podium.