Archive for January, 2013

Day 06: Arica > Calama

Jan 11th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Day 06

Stage 06: Into the hills.

Conditions today were reminiscent of home for the Australians, with firmer terrain and less sand but abundant dust as they entered the mountains in Chile. #131 Warren Strange finished 44th for the day, #89 Brett Cummings pulled up just behind in 45th place, advancing well up the order from his start position. The biggest advances for GHR were in the quad class with #274 Paul Smith spending most of the day in the top 10, finishing 11th for the day and now standing in 13th overall. #156 Todd Smith‘s otherwise smooth run was upset near the end of the stage and the team are aware of entrants with fueling troubles.

Comments from Todd Smith:
“We are now in Chile! I had a great stage, moving my way up the ranks until I was 20 km from the end. My bike had what we think was a fuel problem. In the end I had to push it over the finish line. A bit disappointing, but tomorrow is another day…”

GHR times and placings: MOTO
30th #131 – STRANGE Warren 17h23m46s (+01:48:23 behind leader)
49th #156 – SMITH Todd 19h15m27s (+03:40:04 behind leader +00:15:00 penalty)
78th #089 – CUMMINGS Brett 21h00m37s (+05:25:14 behind leader)

GHR times and placings: QUAD
13th #274 – SMITH Paul 21h34m48s (+03:51:55 behind leader)

Stage 07: Calama > Salta means a crossing of the Andes into Argentina. The bikes and quads take a 418km liaison just south of the Bolivian border before starting the 218km special for the day. The highest point on the stage exceeds a dizzy 3,850m, and all but the very end will be held above 3,400m elevation. Shortness of breath will tax both the riders and their machines – an situation which compounds any weaknesses. There will be no sand encountered tomorrow, just soil, stones and the chilly mountain air. Avoiding major mechanical problems will be of utmost importance since Stage 7 is a marathon stage without assistance from the service crews. All will be mindful that they’ll only have their own resourcefulness to prevent any issues being carried over into Stage 8.

Dakar 2013: Stage 7 Calama > Salta. Courtesy of dakar.com

Dakar 2013: Day 06

Dakar 2013: Fesh fesh

Jan 11th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Pictures

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Fesh Fesh: courtesy Dakar.com

For the uninitiated, this is the reality of riding in fesh fesh. Without notice the ground gives way and jettisons talcum powder like dust into the air. Until the rider hits it there is no warning of how deep it may be, nor what debris lies hidden. Knee depth washouts filled with fesh fesh and rocks are a nightmare for riders.

Dakar 2013: Pictures

Day 05: Arequipa > Arica

Jan 10th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Day 05

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Stage 05: Done and very much dusted.

Stony hills, riverbed crossings, fesh fesh, broken tracks, and off piste sections littered with boulders conspired together with the ever present challenge of navigation in a punishing 136km leg to Arica. Even the leaders were taken aback by the difficulty of the seemingly short stage in which passing was both onerous and perilous.

Comments from Todd Smith:
“Stage 5 was a tough one, thank God its done! I didn’t have much energy as a result of yesterday but went ok. I stopped along the way to help (fellow Australian) Troy O’Connor. I gave him a spanner then a heap of quads got back past me. It was tight running in bull dust for ages after. I lost time at the end because they changed the road book for the last 10km and I went back to check it out. The stage itself started with knee deep fesh fesh (bulldust) then 11km off piste rock field (with no defined road), and more fesh fesh. I was constantly passing riders. To top off the exhaustion we lose 2 hours tonight with the change of time zones!”

Glenn Hoffmann: “After Stage 4, Todd and Brett were pretty drained but they both soldiered through Stage 5 and that’s what matters. Everyone riding for the team is up to it. The mechanics are up to it. We keep going. Obviously Todd’s troubles are frustrating because they came just as he was coming to grips with the sand and the navigation. But the team are doing what they do best. It’s a long race. The bikes are fast and the boys are uninjured. Warren (Strange) is in the top 30 and riding really well. He’s always had the ability but this year he’s incredibly focused on the end result. Each of the last three days has brought an improvement in the standings for him. Same thing for Paul Smith who is very strong in the rough terrain. He’s still looking to sneak into the top 10 quads. The longer and tougher the stage, the better he does on the 700XX. The next couple of days are expected to be long, brutal shifts for everyone but that’s why we’re here.”

GHR times and placings: MOTO
28th #131 – STRANGE Warren 13h01m04s (+01:09:35 behind leader)
50th #156 – SMITH Todd 14h45m04s (+02:53:35 behind leader)
89th #089 – CUMMINGS Brett 16h34m56s (+04:43:27 behind leader)

GHR times and placings: QUAD
16th #274 – SMITH Paul 16h42m12s (+03:21:16 behind leader)

Stage 6 Arica > Calama will be the longest yet at a total of 769km, including an extensive 455km special. The bikes have a very early start at 04:30, perceived as 02:30 due to a change in time zone. The bikes, quads, cars and trucks share a single route once more so the added pressure of traffic will compound the duress as they move into the Atacama Desert. A neutralised zone mid stage will provide some time for recovery before they’re dropped knee deep into fesh fesh. While the top 25 riders in the moto division are still only separated by a single hour, the lengthy stage, fatigue and damage are bound to mix things up.

Dakar 2013: Stage 6 Arica > Calama. Courtesy of dakar.com

Dakar 2013: Day 05

Day 04: Nazca > Arequipa

Jan 9th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Day 04

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Stage 04: the ups and downs of Dakar begin

Stage 4 claimed some big names from the moto class during its testing 288km special. Were it not for some outstanding team spirit exhibited by Brett Cummings, GHR’s Todd Smith would not have found himself on the start list for Stage 5. Smith aboard his #156 bike was having a swift run straight out of the gate but was soon to be bitten.

“Well, what a day… probably the hardest day of my life filled with every emotion possible. I started the stage feeling great on the bike. Rod Faggotter (#131, Yamaha, AUS) and I were riding together having a heap of fun, tackling the dunes and doing whatever Dakar throws at you. I was working my way up the field averaging 14th throughout the stage.”

By the time the pair passed WP8 their stage times were separated by the slimmest of margins – only 6 seconds in favour of Faggotter. But around the 265km mark the tables turned.

“I was then faced with mechanical problems with just 20km left of the competitive stage and then 429km on the road. Brett Cummings came by and decided he’d tow me to the end – which proved to be a challenge in itself. We got stuck, and had to push the bike, but we got to the end eventually! I honestly thought my race was over… but my mechanics are working on my bike as we speak to get me going again tomorrow. I’ll start stage 5 in 127th spot, and hopefully have a bit more luck.”

Brett had already lost time early in the day and described the stage as “the toughest and most spectacular stage by far.” He will depart 124th on the road for stage 5 and stands in 91st place overall. Due to the extra workload sustained today his bike has also required work.

Day 04 - Arequipa 3.45am: Mechanic Jake Young attending to Brett's #89 bike

In contrast to his team mates, #131 Warren Strange had another steady day and finished 27th in the stage, 9 places above his start position.

Having a better stage than yesterday was quad rider #274 Paul Smith who hovered around 14th place for most of special. He brought it home 18th fastest at the end of the demanding day which claimed another 3 quad riders.

GHR times and placings: MOTO
30th #131 – STRANGE Warren (AUS) 11h01m11s (+00:50:33 behind leader)
64th #156 – SMITH Todd (AUS) 12h43m32s (+02:32:54 behind leader)
91th #089 – CUMMINGS Brett (ZAF) 13h36m20s (+03:25:42 behind leader)

GHR times and placings: QUAD
18th #274 – SMITH Paul (AUS) 14h11m28s (+02:50:02 behind leader)

Stage 5: Arequipa > Arica delivers the race from the mountains of Peru to coastal Chile for the first time. The bikes and quads will enjoy a relatively late start on the 136km special as the first on road departs at 08:30. Although conditions will remain rough, the rocky soil may allow Todd Smith to make up some lost time in terrain more in keeping with home. As the cars and trucks take a different route riders have some breathing room without the threat of heavier vehicles bearing down from behind. Total distance covered before the bivouac will be 410km.

Dakar 2013: Stage 05 Arequipa > Arica. Courtesy of dakar.com

Dakar 2013: Day 04

Day 03: Pisco > Nazca

Jan 8th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Day 03

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Stage 03: Straight out of Africa…

As predicted, Stage 3 of the 2013 Dakar was a real roller-coaster ride for the riders. 171 bikes and 35 quads rolled into a decisive special where all faced the dilemma of whether to follow their own navigation or trust that of their competitors. From afar the landscape was breathtaking, but the 4km transport delivered the field straight into a sea of rolling sand dunes waiting to swamp the unwary. The roadbook only hinted at the true difficulty of the topography and once more the field has been whittled down by hidden hazards. However with all three taking care today, GHR riders #156 Todd Smith, #131 Warren Strange and #89 Brett Cummings all improved their overall standings in the moto division.

Comments from Todd Smith:
“I had a good day today and took it really easy. I’m getting much more confident, and have got to know the navigation better. I picked a few guys off but made a few minor navigational errors and had a little lie down in the fesh fesh. I’m getting the hang of the dunes – the other guys are so fast through the dunes, but I catch them on the flats. I got 19th for the stage and have moved up to 24th outright. All going really well.”

Warren Strange had a steady run without trouble. Fluctuating between 29th and 36th fastest on the special he closed in 32nd place for the stage and 33rd overall. South African Brett Cummings lifted his 79th overall by 4 spots to secure 75th outright. He was 76th on the stage.

In spite of some mechanical damage and navigation issues, GHR quad rider #274 Paul Smith only slipped back one place overall to hold 19th overall in his division. Starting well, the navigation errors had cost him 40 minutes by WP3. “I should have trusted my gut” were his words at day’s end. Instead he was lead astray by others before sustaining front suspension damage on rocks at the base of a steep 600m descent. Importantly he remained uninjured, and despite later fuel transfer issues he nursed his TRX700XX to the end of the day, 21st on stage.

GHR times and placings: MOTO
24th #156 – SMITH Todd 6h38m17s (+00:23:14 behind leader)
33rd #131 – STRANGE Warren 6h48m38s (+00:33:35 behind leader)
75th #089 – CUMMINGS Brett 7h48m22s (+01:33:19 behind leader)

GHR times and placings: QUAD
19 #274 – SMITH Paul 8h47m54s (+01:52:14 behind leader)

Stage 4: Nazca > Arequipa continues to flank the Pacific in a south-easterly direction, but will be the first really arduous day for the 2013 edition of Dakar. The GHR crew face another pre-dawn reveille for the special and the first bike will leave bivouac at 05.45hrs. Three massive ascents waiting in Stage 4 will dwarf those encountered in previous stages, as will the severe drops beyond each one. The first, a 1,600m dune, will give way to mountainous rocky tracks topping out above 2,200m only to thrust downwards once more to the refuel at CP1. Beyond the 250km mark the final brutal climb up 1,000m of sand may prove to be especially difficult for anyone who has sustained damage or logged fatigue earlier in the day. The stage then drops from dizzy heights immediately before the finish. All will have traveled over 700km before respite and repairs come at the Arequipa bivouac.

Dakar 2013: Day 03

Day 2: Pisco > Pisco

Jan 7th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Day 02

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Stage 02: Into the dunes…

The 242km Pisco > Pisco stage spared the Dakar field little on what was the first day of real racing. After their 85km liaison the riders were thrown straight into soft, repetitive dunes with hidden drop-offs and deceptive waypoints. GHR riders Warren Strange and Brett Cummings both achieved substantial gains in the overall moto standings by day’s end, holding 31st and 79th respectively. Todd Smith started the day on a charge but slowed when he encountered the sand dunes for the first time. He ended the day holding 34th place overall. In the quad class, #274 Paul Smith dropped from 13th to 18th overall. The grueling stage has already forced the retirement of 3 quads and 8 riders in the moto division. Unfortunately #91 Glen Grundy’s race was halted by mechanical problems 85km into the special. Thankfully he’s uninjured and will stay on with the team to assist.

Comments from #156 Todd Smith:
Well, to say that the 2nd stage was a steep learning curve would be an understatement! Wow… first time in the dunes, and the first time using my GPS. A long story short: I struggled to find my way! Had a pretty big scare off one of the dunes, and dropped about 6m down onto the flat and crashed. Also got stuck on the top of a dune and had to drag my bike down to pick it up. Other than that the stage was really fun. I’m feeling good and we will see what tomorrow brings.

GHR times and placings: MOTO
31st #131 – STRANGE Warren 3h46m41s (+00:22:30 behind leader, as high as 13th at WP3)
34th #156 – SMITH Todd 3h47m38s (+00:23:27 behind leader, 9th fastest to WP1)
79th #089 – CUMMINGS Brett 4h19m48s (+00:55:37 behind leader)

GHR times and placings: QUAD
18th #274 – SMITH Paul 4h34m03s (+00:43:18 behind leader)

Dakar 2013: Stage 03 Pisco > Nazca. Courtesy of dakar.com

Stage 3 Pisco > Nazca continues in a south-easterly direction roughly 80km in from the coast. A short 4km liaison from the overnight bivouac will guide the field to another testing 243km special and subsequent 96km liaison run to Nazca. The projected terrain will be a mixture of deep sand dunes and sandy soil tracks meaning there will be little time to rest. In contrast to the modest elevation changes from Stage 2, there will be a series of steep gradients starting with a dramatic drop at 115km mark.

Dakar 2013: Day 02

Dakar 2013: Start & Prologue

Jan 6th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Day 01

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D day for GHR. The 2013 Dakar Rally has started!

GHR Honda’s second Dakar Rally campaign is finally under way following the ceremonial start and prologue were held today in Peru. After 5 days of preparation and build up in Peru’s capital, Lima, the four Honda CRF450X motorcycles and one Honda TRX700XX quad entered by GHR crossed the ceremonial start with 444 other competitors and their machines. Embarking south on a scenic coastal liaison, they traced the coastline for 250km to Pisco where the racing started. The prologue stage of the 2013 event was a warm-up sprint throughout the sand dunes merely 13km in length, so brief that most riders finished in under an hour before returning to the Pisco bivouac.

Dakar Rally 2013: Stage 1 Route. Courtesy dakar.com

Lead GHR rider #156 Todd Smith from Condobolin finished in 34th place from 183 starters.

“Well, day 1 is done and dusted… I’m pretty happy with how it went, and just cruised through to come in 34th – a great place to start Day 2. I’ve done my map and the track looks good for tomorrow – some dunes and some road sections. It should be a good stage to learn the roadbooks and GPS. The bike is great, everything worked well.”

Second time Dakar entrant, #131 Warren Strange from Western Australia was the next GHR bike to clear the stage and stands in 59th place. A veteran desert racer, he’s aware that the race can’t be won on the opening stage but it can certainly be lost. His position tomorrow will allow him to start chipping away at his objective of a top 20 finish.

GHR have with their ranks two South African riders, both of whom raced the 2012 Australasian Safari with the Australian team. #89 rider Brett Cummings from Witbank and winner of the 2012 Dakar Challenge division at Safari crossed the line in 103rd place today. The 29 year old engineer has been training hard in preparation for this year’s Dakar with fellow South African competitor, #91 Glen Grundy, 48. While Cummings is aiming for a top 50 outright placing in the event, Grundy’s sole objective is to finish the race.

Victorian quad rider #274 Paul Smith started today as the first ever Australian to enter the quad class at Dakar. The 34 year old farmer completed the prologue in 13th place and has his sights set on a podium spot this year.

Today’s results have determined the start order Stage 2, consisting of an 85km liaison and 242km special over mixed terrain in the table lands to the west of the Andes. 3 sections of dunes will test the riders’ navigation skills and endurance before they return to Pisco for the second night.

Pictures from Glenn Hoffmann:

Leaving our home for the last week. Manuel supplies all his family contacts along the way.

Lima: filling up at the servo where full service and uniforms are the go.

Pisco: Glen at the end of the first day feeling... relaxed!

Pisco: bivouac panorama.

Pisco: Paul Smith is all set.

Pisco: Paul Smith saying hello to the crowd (who loved it).

Pisco: Warren is Mr Cool and ready for anything.

Pisco: Glen pumped and making motorbike noises.

Pisco: Brett Cummings takes the last pictures before they depart.

Pisco: Jonny Campbell still does his own maps of course.

Pisco: the rear end of the new HRC Honda.

Pisco: Some lucky competitor's home for two weeks.

Pisco: How many outright Dakar winners in this shot?

Lima: How many outright Dakar winners in this shot?

Lima: heading south out of town.

Day 1: en route to Pisco.

Pisco: VIP entertaining with beer, ladies and V8 buggies for joy rides.

Pisco: two trucks buried in the pits. Check out the trailer in the background!

Pisco: changes to the notes for the second day.

Dakar 2013: Day 01

Say g’day to GHR’s Dakar team!

Jan 5th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: People

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#156 Todd Smith - GHR Honda

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Dakar 2013: People

Dakar 2013: Pictures from Lima

Jan 5th

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Time for some more pictures from Lima.

The boys hired a driver for two hour tour, visiting the start area and scrutineering zone just to get their bearings. Historical sites tell part of the the story of Lima. There are some grand old buildings but plenty not so grand also. The GHR bivouac in Lima was quite comfortable. Instead of camping in a foot of dust with everyone else they took over the whole Melia Lima hotel. Management arranged a photo shoot for themselves, the underground carpark was the comandeered as pits and whenever the truck needed space all the other teams had to move their cars.

Simon, Pete, Rob, Todd and Jake playing tourists at what will be the starting point of the Dakar.

Lima: architecture old and new.

Lima: one hell of a view down the coast!

Lima: colonial architecture in a city of nearly 9 million people.

Lima: colonial cityscapes.

Lima: three people in this tiny taxi.

Lima: when you have a race truck you need a good tow vehicle.

Lima: not a good start for this competitor.

Lima: home away from home.

Lima: the boys out and about.

Lima: getting to know the local police, for good reasons.

Lima: main road to the warehouse holding the team container and air freighted bikes.

Lima: where to park the new GHR truck? Out the front of course.

Lima: the crew have been eating well courtesy of the local pasta house, and yes it is fresh.

Lima: but some habits die hard. The ubiquitous golden arches.

Lima: the GHR Bivouac. Instead of camping in a foot of dust with everyone else they took over the whole Hotel.

Lima: GHR reserved parking and hotel management.

Lima: the Dakar crew briefing. Hard work but someone has to do it.

Lima: the night before Dakar! Glen, Brett, Todd, Paul, a charitable local and Warren.

After the riders briefing there was total chaos. No taxis could be found. What do you do but pull over a local and give them some team stickers and a bit of cash. He did it just to help out and pulled of some radical moves in grid lock traffic including a u-turn across six lanes of traffic to deliver the boys home to the Melia. Just an example of the atmosphere over here.

Dakar 2013: People, Dakar 2013: Places

Dakar 2013: Preparations

Jan 4th

Posted by admin in Dakar 2013: Preparation

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Pictures are starting to come in from the boys as they settled into life in Lima and commenced the final preparations before scrutineering. The truck needed to be located along with the support car and shipping container, the bikes collected from the freight terminal and everything packed in the truck. All of the navigation gear and graphics were fitted to the bikes and quad before they were all fed through scrutineering one by one.

Pictures from Todd Smith: