| Team Dome BMW - Simon & Nick: 11th Jan 2005/2 |
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Pavey closer to Dakar finish
Following yesterday's tough tenth stage of the 2005 Telef̣nica Dakar Rally,
today's conditions
were no better for Team DOME BMW rider Simon Pavey as he rode his BMW F650
GS from
Atar to Kiffe. Despite riding visibility barely being more than 300m, Simon
completed today's
eleventh stage in 67th position and is 80th in the overall standings.
Due to today's bad weather conditions, Dakar officials decided to cut short
today's special stage
from 656km to 400km, with the special stage ending at check point 2. Moments
after completing
today's special, 37-year-old Pavey said: "It has been an unbelievably hard stage today. There
were big sand dunes and it was incredibly bumpy. It was full of second
and third gear turns. It
was so slow, as well as being twisty and bumpy, and really exhausting."
"We have been riding on soft sand all day and it was really difficult. Everyone is completely
shattered. I have worked so hard and every muscle in my body aches… including
the ones I
didn't know that I had," said the honorary Brit, who still has 300km
liaison to ride before he
reaches tonight's bivouac. "I have just finished the special stage
and there are a lot of people
sitting here resting, eating and fuelling up. We are absolutely knackered."
"My aim for the rest of the rally is to keep out of trouble. I don't
want to take any risks. I just
want to finish. If I crash I will probably hurt my already injured wrist
[suffered in a pre-Dakar
crash] and I can't afford to do that."
The fastest time of today's special stage was set by Marc Coma. However
Frenchman Cyril
Despres still leads the motorcycle category.
Note from Dakar officials – the entire competitors of the Dakar rally have
been deeply affected
by the sad death of Fabrizio Meoni.
The bikers have expressed the wish not to compete on stage 12 between Kiffa
and Bamako. The
rally organisation has therefore decided, in accordance with the riders,
to cancel the special and
to take by airplane the competitors and their bikes to Bamako.
Highlights of the 2005 Telefonica Dakar Rally can be seen on Eurosport.
See your local guide for
details. |
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