2008 Dakar

[TIMELORD]

This Saturday marks the start of the 2008 Dakar Rally, with the opening stage from Lisbon to Portimao. Entries etc are on the official website:
http://www.dakar.com/2008/DAK/RIDERS...8-engages.html

There will also be extensive coverage on raid-live.com:
http://www.raid-live.com/dakar/en/index.shtml

And you can even download and make paper models of the cars and trucks (if you've got time...)!!!
http://www.marathonrally.com/en/03_d...models_02.html

I always enjoy following this event, as it is interesting to see how the various battles progress over the duration. Another winter motorsport 'fix'!

[BertMk2]

Some interesting entries in the car section - Yvan Muller was a name I wasn't expecting to see in there! Tiago Monteiro was another surprise.

[Sheila M]

I love the Dakar. It's one of the events that all motorsport fans world-wide can share as it covers everything! I mean, how many events do you know where an amateur bike rider can compete against a former F1 driver?

[Cryos]

Could be a good year for volkswagen , ill be posting up all the press releases and info later on http://www.rallycross.ie

[HCForums]

It's canceled, some of the Dutch entries are already on their way home.

8 of the 15 stages are through Mauritania so I guess there was no other option than to cancel it.

[BertMk2]

Story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ly/7171426.stm

[safc_fan89]

Doh.

[Down F0rce]

Giving in to terrorism and acting like they own us is exactly wat they want. They should have moved the entire event to Mauritania and show the terrorist scum that we won't be bossed around anymore...

[Burnsie]

I'm sure the organisers were hoping for the 30th running of the event to run smoothly, especially after losing a couple of stages last year. Once again terrorists have won, what a shame.

[snett fan55]

I'm sure we are all very disappointed at this awful news, but would any of us want to risk their lives taking part in this lawless part of the world.
Personally gutted, it is the only proper motorsport event to "fill" the gap till our own season starts.Maybe the only consolation is that at least the money that would have been spent, will not now go (or be diverted) to the terrorists.
Regards carrotcruncher

[cptkablamo]

This is a shame but if you have direct threats, you have to take them seriously...such a shame...bring on next year!

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

Giving in to terrorism and acting like they own us is exactly wat they want. They should have moved the entire event to Mauritania and show the terrorist scum that we won't be bossed around anymore...

Easy to type but not such an easy decision for those actually involved. Don't forget these people aren't just making empty threats, they have already killed entirely innocent people

Dealing with terrorists is a matter for Governments, diplomats and the military NOT civilians, sportspeople and spectators.

This is very, very sad but entirely understandable

[Down F0rce]

(Possible off topic alert) For sure, governments, diplomats and the military are the ones meant to deal with terrorism but its effects are felt by "everyday" people such as the tourists in Mauritania, sportsmen and women in the Dakar to completely unrelated people in an unrelated country simply trying to use an airport.

I just get so frustrated when I hear another story about how terrorists once again succeed in bullying people into doing what they want...

[gttouring]

this is a terrible loss to all racing and international relations
i am shocked this isn't more news any where
a good list of cars and entries
this is terrible! how could we succumb to these barbarians?! why not circumvent muritania and try another country- or do a trans Europe race in the interim- fans will abound and i am sure countries will cooperate-
the Paris-Istanbul race called the "dakar" much like off road Raids are called "Baja's" after teh Baja 500/1000
this sucks- we need a solution not just head rubbing and tears!

[The STIG]

Avoid Mauritania next time?

Hey, how about Paris - Italy - Tunisia - Algieria - Mali - Senegal - Dakar?

[rdjones]

What awful news.

[Asp]

Shocking news, but clear that there was no other option. If there's direct threats against the race you have to take measures not to pass through the affected territory (especially when the group in question are known to have killed French people recently). In 2000 (Paris-Dakar-Cairo) it was possible to skip the North Niger. With so many stages affected, clearly it's not possible.

I'm sure that in the future changes will have to made, perhaps sadly missing out Mauritania. I'm also sure that with the present political climate, this won't be the last threat the race will face. And the organisers will have to properly evaluate the threat, and future stages may well be cancelled.

I know there's a lot of people saying that the terrorists have won. And yes, they've won this battle. But the Dakar will be back to Africa, and the benefits it brings will continue. Just not this year, that's all...

[Gil Abobeleira]

Originally Posted by The STIG

Avoid Mauritania next time?

Hey, how about Paris - Italy - Tunisia - Algieria - Mali - Senegal - Dakar?

Argelia is a "no no no" place, because of islamic terrorism. That's why, since the mid 90s', the Dakar has never returned to it

[bil588]

more news
- The Dakar Rally, due to start Saturday, is called off because of security fears
- The French Government warned of dangers after recent murders in Mauritania
- The rally was scheduled to pass through Mauritania for a total of nine days

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/01/04/motor.dakar/
earlier news

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Dec...Killed,00.html

Yahoo picks up the story.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080104...r_080104150306

pictures:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Dakar-...uLFucTyJOGOrgF

[275 GTB-4]

The french warning...was it a direct threat to the Rally Raid of just a general warning of danger?? I can't help thinking we are not being told everything because a slight route change could have steered the field away from the trouble spots (possibly).

What is it with these terrorist jerks? Can someone arrange for Uncle Jan to take one of his trucks and visit Osama BL (he appears to be fond of trucks)...maybe Uncle Jan could slap some sense into OBL whilst he is there

Of course, the massive injection of funds and the charity work done by the rally will be lost for this year....maybe Jan should also take along footage of the great charity work done by the rally each year.

(what a waste of words...less than human terrorists don't give a rats about charity )

[alonso11]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

I can't help thinking we are not being told everything because a slight route change could have steered the field away from the trouble spots (possibly).

9 days of the rally were planed in Mauritania so there was absolutely no way.

In 2001 there were similar threats in a country that didnt even quite exist called "West Sahara" a piece of desert with no government. Because that place would involve only 1 day of the rally (and the threat occured during and not before the rally) organizers decided to put EVERYTHING (imagine hundreds of bikes cars and trucks plus camera crews from 50 countries) on airplanes and fly them to the next stage at their (the organizer's) own cost.

One have to belive that thise time they had absolutely no other option but to cancel the whole thing. Organizational works start 12 months before the event, so you cant just pull out random stages enough for 9 days from a hat (the 2010 version will start from Budapest and the organization already started on some level)

The inboard info what I've heard (there were 4 cars 5 bikes and 3 racing trucks from Hungary entered the event) and can tell is that

-the financial damage that a normal privat entry (1 car with a non-racing service truck) is facing is about 80k euro (the whole event for such a team typicaly cost around 200-250k euro)

-ther are talks that organizers along with the works teams would throw a "subtitute rally" a 2 week long rally going thru (realatively) untroubled places of Afrika and taking place in early March but nothing is confirmed

-some teams took the earliest flight and are already home, some are crying in dissapointment and waiting for the descision to change (which of course is an unreal thing to wait for )

[alonso11]

Another interesting thing I've been told is that these deserts have always been full of outlaws. If you stuck on a dune, some of the locals come and help you just out of sheer sportmanship, some other locals -the outlaws- come threating with guns asking for money.

Things like this seldom happen to works teams as they have way greater media attention, helicopters above them and service crews all around, but a privateer quoted as saying that he has larger euro notes in every pocket of his overall and in different places of the car because if you are like 10 hours behind the leader in the dark you simply need to pay these outlaws.

Its an open secret among the participants and the Dakar has always been dangerous, but this time the threats must have been very serious having caused such a cancellation

[chunder]

Not really gonna miss it to be honest, its a pure competitor event, and for that it has value, but the only think i used to like looking at is the scenery!

[FIRE]

[Down F0rce]

Apparantly it cost £26 Million to cancel the event.

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2008/...ost-26million/