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Archive for January, 2011
Day 13: Post race interview with Jacob Smith
Jan 18th
I managed to get to speak to Jacob on the evening of 16.1.2011 as they started their celebrations, but not before what turned out to be a prank call of sorts. It was good to see the boys had finally let their hair down after nearly a month of early starts and long days.
Ed: The beers are out already I see…
JS: Yeah, we’ve had a couple! Sorry about that… Max was just pretending to be me!
Ed: I had somewhat of a restless night last night and got up again to watch the timings for the last special. You had me more than a little worried – after entering the stage in the top 20, you disappeared completely from the time sheets for about an hour. What happened?
JS: Mate, I ran wide on a turn that was sharper than I was expecting, through a culvert and then I hit a fence. It pushed the bash plate that had all my tools in it upwards, punching a hole through the bottom of the radiator. I spent a lot of time fixing it. It took a couple of tries because it was a fairly big hole. I had some liquid steel but that wouldn’t plug it. I had to find a stick about the same diameter of the hole to plug it and then filled the rest with “knead-it”. That fixed it and I got going again. I was freaking out big time, I thought my race was over. I was really dirty on myself. I was busy adding up (the road book) and the corner came up way faster than I planned for. Next thing I knew I was in a fence with the radiator pouring water. I was saying to myself before the start, “just take it easy”, because I had nothing at all to gain by going harder. I couldn’t believe it happened right at the end.
Ed: What were we talking about just 24 hours ago? The two guys who crashed out last year!
JS: Yeah! On the last day and all! I felt like an absolute idiot, but I managed to fix it and get in. It was such a relief to get to the finish, to end up in Buenos Aires and hand my time card in… a relief more than anything to tell you the truth.
Ed: Well, at least you did it under your own power. Lopez ended up being towed to the end after he trashed the rear end of his bike and that cost him 3rd place overall. He had a whole lot more to lose though.
JS: For sure. After all the dramas we had, all I wanted to do was finish. But if I was running for the podium and had my spot cemented in place after 16 days only to have something like that go wrong I’d be gutted, massively gutted. I feel for him definitely, but mate, that’s what can happen. It was the last stage and only 180km, but it’s still counts. It could happen on the first day, day 5, day 10, whatever. You have to stay 100% focused, all the way to the end. It’s not over until it’s over. We had an hour and a half before the start of the stage and I was there with Jonah and Quinn Cody. We were all talking about cruising it in because there was nothing to gain, just about home and hosed. Then I find myself 6km into the stage on my hands and knees with the radiator leaking. I just thought “this cannot be happening”. Anyway, it all worked out in the end.
Ed: So are you going to carry an assortment of sticks in the spares kit from now on?
JS: (Laughs…) I dunno mate! We learned a lot this year and we’ll be in a much better shape for next year with all this under our belts. This is an example of one of those things that can happen. I put it down to experience. You can think you know everything but you never, ever stop learning. I got away with it this time, but what happened will stick in my mind for a lot of years to come, I can tell you!
Ed: Well I think you deserve to feel very proud of what you have done, and you deserve at least a couple of beers to celebrate.
JS: It’s been amazing. I was thinking about it on the way here tonight. It’s pretty much a mission accomplished. I wanted to make the finish and get a result. I’m not rapt with 32nd, but we made it to the end. For our first year, we’ve achieved what we needed to do. We know what we need to change.
Ed: I was chatting to Glenn earlier in the day and I pointed out to him that only 94 of the original 186 bikes made it to the end. You’re still essentially in the top third of the half that finished. No mean feat when so many don’t succeed in their first attempt at Dakar. While it’s really sad that Mark and Warren didn’t make it all the way, neither of them sound like it got the better of them. The work now in front of you all is to build the team finances for next year and to do it bigger again. The support that has come from the Australian community and from some places overseas suggests that it’s more than just possible.
JS: It’s very promising. Just the support that I received personally from Australia has been overwhelming. I never knew that many people would follow it. But the website traffic has shown just how many do. We had over 20,000 hits on the site. Right now, I’m very keen to come back. Halfway through at the rest day I was struggling. This has been the toughest thing I have ever done, no doubt there. But none of the troubles we hit have deterred me. We need to get the sponsorship and get to work early. We have so much more knowledge now than when we first arrived. We need to put what we have learned into place quickly to capitalise on it.
Ed: Thinking about that issue with the fuel tanks. That was a left turn in the design process fairly late in in proceedings. The team were working on a completely different tank arrangement but you ended up with what you had just because of time in the end. That one problem with the tanks was the single biggest contributor to the bad luck you all experienced as a team. It was a relatively simple, non-moving part but it’s something you know how to do differently.
JS: Absolutely. The only things that gave us trouble were the untested parts. The tanks and the map reader brackets were the only things we had drama with and both are a relatively easy fix, although not when you are over here losing time every day. We’re much better off for the experience now. Everything that we had tested was absolutely fine. The engines were amazing and the rest of the setup was just as solid. There is so much potential with these bikes.
Ed: The wash-up from this year, being the first with the “450 rule” will be a fascinating thing to watch. The engine was definitely the least of your worries. For other riders as prolific as David Casteu that certainly was not the case. In the end, everyone lost count of how many engines he went through and it must have been so demoralising having to pull the bike apart in the desert to select first gear and ride home that way. Even Despres had a scare with his engine making sinister noises part way through one stage. Simon Pavey’s bike was probably the most dynamic grenade with the “leg out of bed”. For top level teams these sorts of problems are disastrous, but if the organisers stick with the rule they’ll have to deal with it. Blown engines don’t just cost time, they can cost you the finish.
JS: I know we had a lot of trouble, but none of them prevented any of us riding. The changes required to make the whole package come together are minor. We don’t have to do any more testing on engines. A redesign of the tanks and a couple of weeks to ride would see that sorted out. We can take a huge amount of confidence from this. It’s just the beginning.
Ed: Well, I should leave you to your celebrations. I know it’s going to be a busy few days up ahead but please make sure that Glenn has a beer too.
JS: I’ll try, but Glenn’s just about toasted. He’s been going so hard for weeks, but I think he’ll relax with us tomorrow night. It’s been fantastic to sit down and have dinner as a team tonight, knowing that we don’t have to rush to get up at 4.30 in the morning. We’ve done 16 days of that. We’re all ready for a break.
We’ll bring you some more updates as the team packs up and comes home.
Ed.
Day 13: Cordoba > Buenos Aires
Jan 16th
Jake’s in!
Jacob Smith and GHR Honda Australia have completed their goal of finishing Dakar 2011. However it remained a bumpy run right to the end…
Hopefully I’ll speak to Jacob in the next hour to find out exactly what happened, but Glenn has already called in with a basic explanation of what transpired in the final competitive stage of the event.
It appears that approximately 6km into the 181km special today Jacob ran off the road at fairly high speed, causing significant damage to the bike. The mission-critical aspect of the crash damage was the hole punched through the radiator. Jacob lost nearly an hour on the first leg as he affected repairs, but most importantly he was able to get the bike over the line. He finished 89th for the stage, giving him 32nd overall for the event. Over the event Jacob lost 13:14:57 – a combination of penalties, component failures, navigation issues and sheer bad luck. While not the result any of the GHR crew wanted, tomorrow he and the team can say with pride that he finished the event in the top third of the field that had shrunk to only half the number of starters.
More as soon as I get to speak to Jake.
Ed.
Pics: boston.com Big Picture
Jan 15th
Some amazing pictures of the machines, faces and places of the 2011 Dakar can be found here at boston.com. Have a look!
Day 12: San-Juan > Cordoba
Jan 15th
Just had a call from Jake this afternoon…
Ed: Jake! Looks like an excellent day for you! 14th on the stage today. How was it?
JS: It was good! It was long and the first 50km was rough, deep sand with plenty of ruts. You know how long it was today – 555km. The first bit was a hard slog, and there’s been a fair bit of water over here. The next leg of 60km was very muddy. After first refuel at 170km it became easier and faster. I didn’t push the limits or do anything stupid. I just rode at a pace where I felt comfortable. I let Jonah (Street, USA) by at about the 300km I think. He was pushing a bit to improve on the overall standings. I’d spoken to him at the start of the stage and he had said he was going to have a bit of a go. I saw him coming so I let him passed and just latched onto the back of him. We cruised like that to the finish. All in all, it was a pretty good day really!
Ed: He was only 2:30 minutes in front of you at the end of 555km. At a decent pace that’s not too far back behind someone who was “going for it”.
JS: Mate, it was good to ride without dust today to tell you the truth! I know we’re getting towards the end of the race but it shows just where you can end up if you can get up the front, stay out of trouble, get that gap and ride smooth. It sure is very promising for the future.
Ed: It’s worth looking at where everyone is forming up to finish this year. The likes of Despres and Coma are 365 day a year Dakar competitors. They are at this full time, training and racing. They do this for a living, but the rest of you are guys who have day jobs, restricted budgets and a “normal life” outside of this. Even when you have the talent it really does seem to come down to luck early in the race and then who has the best support. At the end of the two weeks, the riders consistently getting more sleep than the rest of the field seem to be doing better.
JS: Absolutely. But there are more than just those two who are pro’s this year. Quinn Cody is a full time racer in the US, Rodrigues and Lopez are also getting paid to do this, and they make up the top five at the moment. That’s why they are at the front. Talent is one thing, but the backing seals it.
Ed: You’re sounding really bright and sparky for someone who’s just battled through 555km of sand and mud today!
JS: Yeah, I can see we’re getting to the finish so there’s that light at the end of the tunnel to keep me excited. I honestly don’t feel too bad at the moment. Obviously I am fatigued and my muscles are pretty sore, but fitness-wise I am very good. To be honest, if I had to keep going another week I’d be able to do it. But knowing that the finish is tomorrow gives me that little bit of extra energy.
Ed: Tomorrow is a short special of 181km, but it is at the end of a fairly long transport. What time are you starting the time of day you start the timed section?
JS: The special starts for me at about 10.30 am, but I leave here for the liaison leg at 4.43 am. It’s going to be pretty fast and open. The average speed for the bikes is apparently about 130kph so it’s nearly a flat out run. I’ll still be taking it easy though. They said at the briefing tonight that 2 guys crashed out on the final day last year. You have to stay focussed right to the end so no crazy acts of courage!
Ed: The crew must be getting excited now things are coming to a close.
JS: Yeah, they are. It’s been exhausting for them. They’ve had had next to no sleep every night and they’re still working hard on the bike right now. I’m standing next to it with the front wheel and the tank off at the moment. They’ve just fitted a new pipe to it. They’re juts making sure that everything is OK, but the engine is right. It’s going to be a pretty good party tomorrow night. We are all looking forward to getting everything out of the way tomorrow, packing up and enjoying a couple of quiet beers I think!
Ed: You’ve earned them mate, so make them as loud as you want!
JS: You never know… Sunday only has a few things in store before we ride over the podium at the ceremonial finish. I think we’ve booked a motel for tomorrow night so I’m dreaming of a hot shower, a real toilet and even a decent bed. Luxury!
Ed: When do you actually fly out of Argentina?
JS: Wednesday. We leave about 1.00 and we arrive back in Australia at about 5.30 in the afternoon on Thursday. It’s going to go quickly. We finish up the race, but then we need to pack up all our gear and make sure it’s absolutely spotless before we stash it in the container. We’ll spend most of Monday and Tuesday doing that. Wednesday will just be about getting to the airport and on our way. It’s not going to be a holiday! Tomorrow is the end for me, but then the logistics crank right up again. It’s certainly not the end of the race. The boys have so much to do. The truck and container have to go back to the docks so we won’t be resting until we are home I can tell ya!
Ed: Well I expect a written report on the Argentine beer tomorrow night but then you can call it “finished”!
JS: “Dos cervezas”, that’s all you need to know! That word “finished” sounds very, very good.
Some pics from the last 24 hours…
I should have some more to post later in the day.
Ed.
Andy Caldecott – Remembered, Five Years on
Jan 15th
Transmoto Magazine have just put together a feature on a ride to mark the 5th anniversary of Andy Caldecott’s tragic death in the Dakar on 9 January 2006.
Andy Caldecott – Remembered, Five Years on.
For all the excitement of Dakar, it’s worth remembering the seriousness of the event.
Day 11: Chilecito > San-Juan
Jan 14th
Jacob Smith managed to stay in the top 20 all day en route to San-Juan. In his own words, he just “cruised”. He still lost 34 minutes to the top runners, but finishing remains his number one objective – a noteworthy thing now that half the field have retired through injury or mechanical failure and just how few first-time competitors make it to the end.
The first part of the special before the neutralised sealed section was the most conservative but it did take some time for Jake to feel comfortable after coming off yesterday.
The service crew had an interesting encounter and made a new friend in the Renault truck team when the GHR camper was run over by his much larger vehicle. We don’t have pictures yet, but Glenn said it was quite remarkable. The campsite today was so congested that everyone was tripping over themselves and each other. Because the truck driver was a Frenchman, he was able to enlist the assistance of the Loctite shop. In no time flat the front of the camper had been disassembled, panel-beaten and replaced such that the damage was hard to spot if viewed from more than 10 feet away. Another truck actually destroyed one of the race stands by accident too.
There were more adventures for Glenn in his truck. Once again, fuel rationing was in force and finding enough diesel to fill both tanks was somewhat challenging. The first “fuel stop” was one in name only because they had none to sell. The necessitated a 60km detour to find a supply, but even then the service station had a 100L limit per customer. That wasn’t enough to fill to capacity so Glenn stopped at the next one encountered about 200km further on but found that it had a 20L limit. He filled, and then drove the truck out of the service station and back again. The smiling attendant knew exactly what was going on and played along with the little charade when Glenn went inside to greet him and pay for the fuel, and was rewarded another 100 pesos for his trouble. Filling up away from the main convoy avoids the queues at the main towns.
Everyone remains committed to finishing and they are sticking to the routine to make it all happen. Spirits are good. The team have made a huge number of contacts in Argentina and Chile so the world has suddenly become much smaller than it was a couple of weeks ago. While the disappointment with the various hiccups and penalties remain, all members of the team are talking about what they will do differently next time – a sure sign that this has been a positive learning experience.
The issue of the three hour penalty should be clarified at this point. That particular stage meant that the bivouac did not move. The day was unlike any others in that the crew driving the service vehicles were not given directions for travel by the “trippy” – the device supplied by the organisers to help the convoy navigate on the transports. There was no transport or convoy to drive, so the crew decided to do some sight seeing and to try to watch some of the competitors start the Copiapo to Copiapo loop. It was an absent-minded oversight that put them foul of two rules relating to where they could and couldn’t go. Firstly, no service vehicles are allowed into the stage areas, and secondly, the crews were allowed out of the bivouac but no further than 15km from it. The crew actually did nothing but attend the start line but that was the first transgression. The second was the 30km they had traveled to the start. Jake had long since departed the stage, but there was one competitor with bike issues still at the start line. He was receiving help from a group of other people, not GHR crew, however by virtue of their presence at the start the GHR crew – and therefore Jacob – were given the penalty.
The severity of this penalty seems excessive, but the organisers had issues last year with some competitors trying to circumvent the registration fees payable to enter official support vehicles in the event. By using “planted” unregistered support vehicles throughout the course, these competitors managed to save tens of thousands of dollars at the same time they short-changed the ASO. The competitor in question at the start line received a penalty for receiving outside assistance. The spectating GHR crew were in a vehicle bearing a number tied to Jacob Smith so they were easily singled out as an example to others, albeit harshly.
To clear up any misconceptions once and for all, this penalty has absolutely nothing to do with Jacob giving Helder Rodrigues the precious fuel he needed to finish the special on Day 9. Competitors are allowed to help each other and exchange parts or tools freely. That’s part of the Dakar tradition.
Glenn and the crew were philosophical about this and the other penalties collected by the riders and conceded that such lessons were best learned this year, especially seeing that Jake’s chances of a top 10 finish were dashed on the first stage as the fuel tank problems emerged. The three hours on Jake’s time constitute difference between his current 37th place and the 26th place he would have otherwise held at this point in time, but even 26th is lower than Jacob had been aiming for. It’s been a tough year at school for all the riders!
Jake had a few things to say…
“I was pretty buggered this morning. I was very fatigued from the stage yesterday. That was one of the longest 170km rides of my life. I just coasted the first 240km this morning, I didn’t push the limits at all. I got my breath back after that and my second wind and did OK for the rest. I have every tough day tomorrow so I’m not looking to the finish yet. The race is far from over, but if I can get through tomorrow I should be sweet.”
“Today was tough. I was very glad to be up near the front. We’re out after the trucks tomorrow, so the track is going to be badly cut up. I’ll just be doing whatever is needed to get home, not anything silly. The special is 555km.”
“This thing is a see-saw. If we came here and had a clean race, limiting the down times, who knows where we could end up. Early last week I was catching as passing some of the fast guys, so there’s confidence that we can do well. But now that we are where we are, there is still a lot of determination. I’m not going to sit down and give up. I really want to reward the boys with a finish , and reward everyone back home who have been following… especially the people from Condo. They’ve been writing in on the forums, Facebook and the website – it’s been crazy! I’d really like to get it to the finish for all of them. Their support is what has helped keep me motivated. I don’t want to pack up and quit that easily!”
“I do want to say a special thank you to my girlfriend Rhiannon. She’s been unreal through the whole event. I talk to her every night… she’s been awesome. I also want to thank Mum and Dad, my brother, my two sisters, and everyone from Condo. You’ve all been amazing with your messages and support. Thank you all so much!”
Day 11: Update
Jan 14th
A quick update on Jacob Smith’s progress in the today’s stage before I get the call from Argentina in a few hours.
Jake was the 22nd bike over the start this morning, and spent the whole day in the top 20. At one point late in the stage he had climbed to 15th position. I’m still waiting on confirmed results for the day but it appears that he finished the stage in 17th place, 37th overall.
Tomorrow is going to be another big one with 555km of special without the neutralised road section they rode today. The fact that he has cleared the stage in the top 20 will allow him to start well tomorrow after a decent rest tonight. At the time of writing approximately one tenth of the riders remain out on the stage as the sun sets in Argentina and Jacob turns in for the night.
Day 10: Copiapo > Chilecito
Jan 13th
“Absolute madness…”
These were the first words of the very weary Glenn when called me at 1.30am his time having just battled through a 14 hour drive across the mountains. This was no leisurely cruise. The competitors and support crews all crossed the Andes for the second time today.
Most of the day consisted of tiny dirt and bitumen tracks, many of which had considerable drop offs and either negligible or no fencing. The truck loses the clutch above 3,000m and there were 140km of transport above 4,000m where just breathing becomes difficult. At times the progress was limited to 1st and 2nd gear because this was the most the truck would pull. Large sections of the dirt looked like a competitive stage rather than a convoy route with talc-like dust to knee height and ruts deep enough to trap the trucks. Some of the competitors vehicles were getting stuck in the transport, so you can imagine what it was like for the service vehicles in regular road going vehicles!
The pictures tell the story. There were cars and trucks stuck everywhere and one strayed into a ditch, ending up on its side. At the time Glenn called there were still some competitors yet to arrive.
Jacob Smith finished 19th for the day but he did have a major crash. He has damaged his shoulder and rearranged the navigation equipment, but he’ll be starting on a straightened machine tomorrow. At present the penalty accrued on Day 9 still stands. While the team are still campaigning for its reduction they are fairly sure there will still be something imposed. He stands in 39th place, but were the penalty be completely revoked he would return to 26th place overall.
Tomorrow is a massive day for the riders as they undertake a 164km liaison before the 622km special to San-Juan. The special will include one relentless ascent to over 3,000m before dropping more than 2,000m in less than 100km of racing. If today didn’t really test the field, tomorrow will. Jake will get to start in a reasonable position. Now we wait to see who emerges at the end…
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