Dakar 2017

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Binary_Bark

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The Dakar 2017 programme:

Monday January 2nd – Stage 1: Asunción to Resistencia: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 39km – Total 454km

Tuesday January 3rd – Stage 2: Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucumán: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 275km – Total
803km, Trucks – Special section: 284km –Total 812km

Wednesday January 4th – Stage 3: San Miguel de Tucumán to San Salvador de Jujuy: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 364km – Total 780km, Trucks – Special section: 199km – Total 757km

Thursday January 5th – Stage 4: San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 416km – Total 521km

Friday, January 6th – Stage 5: Tupiza to Oruro: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 447km – Total 692km, Trucks –Special section:
438km –Total 683km

Saturday, January 7th – Stage 6: Oruro to La Paz: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 527km – Total 786km, Trucks – Special section: 513km – Total 772km

Sunday, January 8th – Rest day

Monday, January 9th – Stage 7: La Paz to Uyuni: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 322km – Total 622km

Tuesday, January 10th – Stage 8: Uyuni to Salta: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 492km – Total 892km

Wednesday, January 11th – Stage 9: Salta to Chilecito: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 406km – Total 977km

Thursday, January 12th – Stage 10: Chilecito to San Juan: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 449km – Total 751km

Friday, January 13th – Stage 11: San Juan to Rio Cuarto: Motorcycles-quadbikes-trucks –Special section: 288km – Total 754km, Cars-UTV – Special section: 292km – Total 759km

Saturday, January 14th – Stage 12: Río Cuarto – Buenos Aires: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 64km – Total 786km
 
Team Toyota SA wins opening stage

Resistencia, Argentina - It was a picture perfect start for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA, as Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel (#301) triumphed in the opening stage of the race, a 26th stage victory for Al-Attiyah on the Dakar Rally.

Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz (#302) posted the fifth-fastest time of the day, while Nani Roma and navigator Haro Bravo Alex (#305) went third-fastest in their Team Overdrive Toyota Hilux.

Small fire, big scare

The elation at the Toyota crews’ spectacular performance, however, was somewhat dampened by the news that Al-Attiyah/Baumel suffered a small engine fire at the end of the 39km stage. The crew quickly doused the flames, and determined that the fire was caused by an oil leak in the engine bay.
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For us folk without DSTV, what's the best way of catching up on the daily highlights of the Dakar?
 
San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina - Stage 2 of Dakar 2017 saw Toyota Gazoo Racing SA bank another good performance, with Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel (#301) posting the second-fastest time of the day.

Team mates Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz (#302) was fourth-fastest, and are currently in fourth place in the overall standings, 2min05 behind new rally leader Sebastien Loeb (Peugeot).

Stage of mix surfaces

The 275km-long stage was preceded by a liaison of 444km, taking the crews from the Argentine town of Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucuman. The stage itself offered a mix of surfaces, and took place at only 200m above sea level.

Al-Attiyah/Baumel, who won Stage 1 of Dakar 2017 on January 2nd, pushed throughout the stage, but saw their overall rally lead slip into the hands of Peugeot rival Loeb. The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crew is only 28 seconds behind the new rally leader, despite the Frenchman winning today’s stage by 1min23.

Al-Attiyah said after reaching the bivouac in San Miguel de Tucumán: “We tried to push when we could. The good news is our Toyota Hilux ran without a single problem today, which is a relief after yesterday’s scare.”

Al-Attiyah/Baumel’s race vehicle suffered a small engine fire at the end of Stage 1, which was reason for concern as much as their opening stage victory was reason for celebration. The technical crew worked into the night to ensure that the Toyota Hilux was in perfect condition for Stage 2, and the effort clearly paid off.

De Villiers making progress

De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz felt confident after recording the fifth-fastest time on Stage 1. This gave them a good road position for Stage 2, and the pair were happy to record the fourth-fastest time of the day. It also pushed them up to fourth in the overall standings, 1min32 behind team mates Al-Attiyah/Baumel.

De Villiers said after the stage: “It was a good stage for us today, and the car felt absolutely perfect. We completed the stage just a single second slower than Carlos Sainz (Peugeot), clearly showing how good the 2017 Toyota Hilux really is.”

For Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team principal, Glyn Hall, the opening stages have brought a mix of emotions: “We were so pleased to win the opening stage, only to have our elation dampened by Nasser’s engine bay fire. We quickly overcame that and prepared the car for Stage 2, and now the race crews have delivered two solid performances.

"Additionally, it seems that Stage 2 was much more suited to the buggies: It was flat, with long straights and plenty of grip - all elements that work for them. This was further borne out by the unusually high average stage speed of 120km/h.”

Next up is the climb to altitude, as Stage 3 takes the crews from the bivouac at San Miguel de Tucumán up to San Salvador de Jujuy, with the altitude peaking at 5000m near the end of the stage. The total stage distance for the day is 512km, including a special stage of 416km. The stage brings the first high altitude dunes, which will equally challenge both the drivers and the navigators.

This will be the final stage in Argentina, before the Dakar crosses the border into Bolivia for five more days of high altitude racing, as well as the rest day at La Paz.

Wheels24
 
Disappointment for SA's Toyota Gazoo Racing on Stage 3

San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina - What started as an exciting battle on Stage 3, as former winners Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) and Stephane Peterhansel (Peugeot) went head-to-head on the 364km stage, turned to disappointment for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA when Al-Attiyah damaged the suspension of his Toyota Hilux.

Three-minute lead, gone

Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel initially trailed Peterhansel, but then plied on the pressure by building a lead of nearly three minutes. This gave them the outright lead of the Dakar, and they were clearly on course to notch up a second stage win on this year’s race.

Unfortunately, their spectacular charge ground to a halt when they ripped the right rear wheel off their vehicle, after driving through a deep hole between way-points seven and eight.

After reaching the bivouac at San Salvador de Jujuy. Al-Attiyah said: “It was a fantastic stage for us. Right until we damaged the car. Up to that point, we were enjoying the race against Peterhansel, and we were very happy to see that we were setting the pace in the middle part of the stage. In the end the result is very disappointing for us, but the car ran as good as ever and we are looking forward to challenging for stage wins as the race continues.”

De Villiers also suffers problems

Team mates Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz also lost time on today’s stage, though their deficit was restricted to 36 minutes, as opposed to the two hours lost by Al-Attiyah/Baumel.

De Villiers commented: “We initially lost time with navigation, but once we found the correct route, we were able to hold our position. Unfortunately we then had a fuel pressure problem near the end of the stage, and lost more time working through the issue. We got going again, and managed to complete the stage.”

Nani Roma posted the best time by a Toyota Hilux on the stage, which was eventually won by Peterhansel. Roma finished the stage in 8th place, 13min16sec behind the winner.

Up next is Stage 4, which sees the Dakar depart Argentina for five days of racing in Bolivia, as well as the rest day in La Paz. The stage itself starts in Argentina, before crossing into Bolivia, and features a total distance of 521km. The race continues to climb onto the high plains of Bolivia, and Stage 4 peaks at an altitude of 4000m.

Wheels24
 
According to a post on the Toyota SA Facebook page Al-Attiyah's Hilux is too badly damaged for him to continue.
 
Al-Attiyah always seem to take himself out of the race :(
No course management, always flat-out. That's bound to bite you somewhere during 2 weeks of racing.
This time it only happened sooner, rather than later.

Don't get me wrong, I like the guy. He just needs to learn some patience.
 
Wasn't Al-Attiyah the guy who was in trouble a few years ago for unscrupulous behaviour or something along those lines?
 
The tv coverage is this year more about this city and that tourist attraction. I want to see action, cars, bikes and trucks.
 
David Thomas, biker, out with a bust leg - has had 2 ops....on his way back to SA on Thursday.....his lifelong dream gone
 
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