2011 Dakar News
It is always a new challenge after the rest day at the Dakar Rally. Riders must find the pace again and gett used to the fresh and completely re-builded bikes.
This also produces a mechanical risk as nearly the whole Dakar bike has been apart and assembled together with new parts. This day and the first day of the Dakar Rally are in terms of reliability the most critical days. The mechanics however did a perfect job by seeing all the riders of Team Honda Europe coming in.
Quinn Cody even scored his first top 10 result in the Dakar Rally! A new Honda fuel tank was brought to the rest day but it was not necessary to fit.
Stage 7 on Sunday had been shortened due to the fact that the track already was used in the way up to Arica.
Circumstances were not conducive anymore to send the Honda Dakar riders in again for the full distance. However it was very technical stage where even the most experienced extreme had to push it to the maximum.
Alexey Naumov had a crash in the beginning of the Dakar stage and damaged his bike quite heavily. Especially the front end with the navigation instruments on the Honda was bent and damaged.
Luckily enough the clever rider from Russia was not harmed himself and proved his technical skills, found his rhythm again and brought the damaged Honda home in a very good 48th position.
Aboard her Honda, Mirjam Pol surprised with her speed today as the technical sections are not her favourites. Sand dunes and navigation are the most ideal combination for her, but she managed to bring her Honda through the most critical tracks and finished in a 77th place overall.
She also posted the fastest time in the women’s category, beating her rival, Annie Seel, from Sweden.
Vadim Pritulyak arrived exhausted the bivouac in Antofagasta, but he has incredible will to survive in the Dakar Rally.
2011 Dakar Rally Stage 7 Honda Europe Results
Road section, 208 km – Special, 631 km
10th position for Quinn Cody
Total time 03:49:37 Variation 00:19:52
47th position for Alexey Naumov
Total time 04:52:33 Variation 01:22:48
68th position for Mirjam Pol
Total time 05:47:14 Variation 02:17:29
107th position for Vadim Pritulyak
Total time 09:07:13 Variation 05:37:28
2011 Dakar Team Honda Europe overall
11th position for Quinn Cody
Total time 028:01:59 Variation 01:48:09
48th position for Alexey Naumov
Total time 034:15:08 Variation 08:01:18
77th position for Mirjam Pol
Total time 40:31:19 Variation 14:17:29
99th position for Vadim Pritulyak
Total time 21:59:52 Variation 19:46:02
2011 Dakar Stage 8 Honda Preview: Antofagasta – Copiapó
The riders will face very long day; after a long connecting stage of 268 km a varied special stage of 503 km will offer all kind of challenges to the riders. The three different phases of the day are likely to give rise to difficulties that will have a knock on effect.
The utmost care is therefore recommended for handling the subtleties of navigation at the start of the special stage. In the immense open spaces of Chile, the competitors will have to "jump" from valley to valley: landmarks are rare and it is easy to get confused.
Making up any time lost will be a dangerous task on the old mine tracks in the middle of the day’s route. Most importantly, a long sandy zone is located at the end of the stage. It will require a very clear head, so it is better to tackle it by day-light rather than with headlights on.
