| Team Dome BMW - Simon & Nick: 14th Jan 2005 |
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Pavey climbs two more places
After yesterday's torturous ride, today promised to be better. But the
2005 Telefonica-Dakar
Rallye is turning out to be the most hazardous yet and the Kayes to Tambacounda stage was to
prove little different.
In bright sunshine, the weary riders cautiously departed the Kayes bivouac and steeled themselves
for another 630 km of physical and mental abuse. By now many will be wondering
what they are
doing in this unforgiving African dustbowl.
Simon Pavey, the Team DOME BMW rider on the only BMW in the rally, is putting
his trust in
previous experience and the continuing reliability of the little F650 GS single. The good news is
that he made it to the finish at Tambacounda in Senegal. Mentally though,
the Aussie-born
honorary Brit had been somewhat battered. He had suffered yet another of
those experiences he
would prefer to forget.
Pavey explained: "When you ride in an event of this kind you make
friends, very good friends," he
said. "One of the closest of my rally pals is Irishman Gary Innes
and today Gary had a very big
crash. He hit a massive pothole at about 70 km/h simple because the dust thrown up by the
passing cars had made visibility almost zero and he had ridden off track.
Unfortunately, Gary
broke a femur. I waited with him until rescue arrived and tried not to
let it effect me as I pressed
on to the end of the stage."
Despite the delay caused by Gary's accident the BMW off-road instructor
has climbed another
couple of places and lies in 78th position in the overall standings. If
he finishes without losing
ground it will be a remarkable achievement. If he improves and moves up the field, he will have
ridden the motorcycling equivalent of a miracle.
"It was a great feeling to arrive in Senegal," said Pavey. "Just
two days to go and I am determined
to make it to the finish. All I have to do is stay out of trouble and ride
sensibly." What he hasn't
mentioned is that his achievements so far have been remarkable. Suffering
from the effects of a
broken wrist, sustained before the Dakar, Pavey is consuming regular doses
of pain killers. Let's
hope he has enough to see him through two more days of African torture.
Today's stage brought an astonishing first place for Brazilian Jean de
Azevedo. He was followed
home by David Fretigne (FRA), Chris Blais (US) and Alfie Cox (SA). In the
overall standings,
Cyril Despres still leads the rally ahead of Marc Coma and Alfie Cox.
Tomorrow's stage from Tambacounda to Dakar totals 569 kilometres of which 225 km comprises
the special stage. In theory, it should prove easier than today as the
liaison sections are (Simon
Pavey believes) on tarmac.
The way things are going though, this probably counts for nothing. |
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