No Dakar 08!!!!

[phred]

Can't believe it. Thanks to a threat from some terrorist group the entire race has been cancelled. Granted I'm not racing and therefore my safety is not at stake, but I would think that the chances of being hurt or killed in the race would be much higher than from that of a random terror attack.

Oh well guess I have to watch replays of last years race.

[flyinbronco]

I am so pissed about this. When ever people or countries run from these SOB's it only plays into their game. They should have just skipped the stages that were under a terrorist threat and continued the race. Whats next? Are they going to phone in a threat for the Daytona 500 and they'll cancel that too. The organizers blew it big time. I'll put money down that the Dakar Rally is done for good. All I can say is the French are a bunch of pussies. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

[AngerIssues]

If you think about it, unfortunately the risk of kidnapping is WAY more likely to be a problem for journalists and chase teams... traveling from spot-to-spot. Easy targets.

The racers can outrun just about anything, except maybe bullets. I hate to see it happen. Like someone on RDC said - the terrorists win this round. Who'd of ever thunk Al-Queida would affect fricking off-road racing???? arf.

Whoever suggested Australia on RDC - brilliant. Let's move it and circumvent the whole island! At least they control their borders.

ken

[AngerIssues]

French are a bunch of pussies. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:


Hell, we knew that a long time ago about the French.

send the french fries home... they are fattening anyway (wait - I think WE invented them... oops).

ken :D

[petepecas]

Just now that Robby was 'gonna win it!:mad:

[151FAB]

The people involved with the rally all travel in a bivouac, I think there's something like 3000 people confined to a small area each night (for their safty). A simple mortar attack would devistate this community. A sniper stationed at a conveniant location, a mine in the right place, a kidnapping of anyone that results in the televised beheading of such an unlucky victom...

You guys are talking real tough for not being involved and not having family involved. YOUR THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY CALLING THE ASO PUSSIES FOR CONSIDERING THE SAFTY OF THOSE THEIR RESPONSIBLE FOR A TOP PRIORITY!!! Oh and by the way the insurance companies are the ones pulling the strings not the ASO. Without insurance nothing gets done these days.

[straightaxle]

You guys are talking real tough for not being involved and not having family involved. .

Well, at least its not the same guys that said they wouldn't go back to Mexico. Multiply the problems in Mexico by a factor of at least 10. As far as bypassing the problem areas, it is sometimes difficult to bypass an entire country. Just like the situation in San Felipe, they just didn't have as much time to find the equivalent of Ensenada. I am bummed as well. A lot of racers lost more than their deposit on a house in San Felipe. They were already at the start line! Now they have to freight all that stuff home.

[flyinbronco]

I was thinking that if the 1st 2 stages were in Portugal why not just race there? I know its easy for me to say they should have just raced but I hate to see the terrorists win by default. Like I said earlier, this will be the death of the Dakar Rally. If the terrorists can stop it once with just a threat they'll do it again.

[straightaxle]

Yea, they were also scheduled to do several stages in Morrocco. They could have added some stages there and been where they were on total stages.

[151FAB]

That would have been a bitch to pull off though. Just reprinting all the rallybooks and such... not to mention the insurance

[Blanco]

http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/01/07/rgordon.dakar.rally.canceled/

[BajaBronco13]

Just read the article, thanks Cam. Robby is one intense guy. I guess that's what makes him so interesting to watch him race. Even in Baja when my nephews snap this picture with him, he was ready to jump in the chase van after passing over driving duties to another driver and haul @$$ out of the pit stop.

[flyinbronco]

Oh my, Robbie G and me thinking alike. I don't know what to say.:confused:
I know at my work I have contingency plans if we have a problem with something. You always need a plan B. By the way I still think the French are pussies.:D

[BajaBronco13]

I can't agree with you more Flyin..... Though the french make great French Toast and Fries :) ....... or is that an American thing, lol.

Even Ricky Bobby can kick @$$ on the French.

[Blanco]

I'm not sure where this comes from But Tony T just sent it to me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Opinions about the cancellation of the Dakar 2008 cover a wide range from understandable to desaster. While a few usually bigger teams issue polite and politically correct statements of understanding and respect for the A.S.O.'s decision most of the Dakar participants are thrown into very personal fiascos by the current events.


Very roughly estimated the budget for a Dakar participantion that needs to be taken into consideration for a motorbike starts from 50.000 Euros and for a car including support at 200.000 Euros. A lot of the sponsorships for smaller and medium size teams have the passage included that the money will only be fully paid "when the participant successfully takes part in the start of the event". As the A.S.O. cancelled the Dakar before the start this condition is obviously not fulfilled. However, even in a legally safer situation for the participants it is questionable if the full support can be claimed from a hesitant sponsor without a value in return.


At Saturday noon most of the participants have left Lisbon with different destinations. Who is able to arrange a journey back home is on their way back. Some participants are heading for Portimao as their hotels are booked anyhow. Even more amazingly some racers left heading on their own wheels to Dakar. In their own private journey and without the help of the official organisation. A motorcycle team from Holland is planning to travel on their own "if the A.S.O. isn't able to do so".


Among these highly subjectively and emotion based activities on the other more rational side a lot of questions remain unanswered. The answers of Etienne Lavigne - Dakar race director - point in the direction that the "Dakar" as it is known and also what the name stands for will not take place again in 2009. "There will big a big event in 2009." was Lavigne's circumventive answer to the question if he could confirm that there will be a "Dakar 2009".


Completely not understood by most of the Rally participants is the reason for the total cancellation instead of fulfilling the promises given to racers, spectators, fans and sponsors by rearranging the event. Robby Gordon from Team Dakar USA spoke out of the heart of everyone when he asked "I understand that you cannot put peoples' lives at risk but obviously Portugal welcomes us and we don't have any problems here in Lisbon. Why not at least race here on the specials where it is safe. I mean - there is solutions and to cancel it is not a solution."


Etienne Lavigne's answer to the question why the race did not at least go into Marocco is leaving more questions than it answers. Lavigned stated "Because we organize great events and not fiascos. A course of 4 days in Africa is not our business".


The cancellation unquestionably is a disaster that in the way it was communicated and handled will scare participants away. The opinion of the general public is supporting this. In a web survey conducted by Eurosport "What is your opinion to the Dakar cancellation" the most selected point was "Where is plan B from the organization?" followed by "At least some stages should have been driven". The German news magazine "Der Spiegel" asked in its online edition "Do you support the cancellation so the Rallye Dakar will not take place in this year?" The winning answer with 65% was "No, the route of the rally should have been changed".


Speculations and rumors are spreading and are naturally trying to fill the void left by the current situation. One intense topic of discussion are theories that financial insurance issues were the main reason for the cancellation of the Dakar and also made it impossible to run a shorter route. In the meantime without knowing the deeper underlying reasons several credible sources known to marathonrally.com confirmed these aspects. Speculations that the A.S.O. has bought the "Por las Pampas Rally" taking place in South America have been declared as incorrect by A.S.O. officials to marathonrally.com on Saturday afternoon, "We closely looked into the Por las Pampas Rally over the last year but the rumors that we are buying it are not true".


In an interview aired on television Patrice Clerc, president of the A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organization) said with a smile that the Dakar cancellation will not mean the death of the Dakar and will not have fatal financial impacts for the A.S.O.


A.S.O. customers and yearlong Dakar entrepreneurs such as Philippe Gache who constructed and prepared 9 race buggys for own customers will be quite unimpressed by this information. "I am ruined. I have 18 full time employees and my company in total pays more than 80.000 Euros wages per month. We have invested our ressources in the preparation of this Dakar. Even if there will be a Dakar in 2009 I will not be able participate any more." Gache even states more seriously "The A.S.O. people are crazy, they are gambling with our health. I have to think about dismissing my mechanics because my clients will want their investments back and I am not able to fulfill that."


Fact is that the total cancellation of the Dakar on short notice severely damaged the image of the A.S.O. and raises valid questions about the future of the destination Dakar and the rally itself that will need to be answered very soon. Already now participants are flocking away from the Dakar to join other major events like the "Transorientale Rally" in June 2008. Ronn Bailey has already confirmed his participation there and Andre Dessoude hopes his sponsors will join the move from the Dakar to the Transorientale.

[flyinbronco]

Hey Todd (151fab) do you still feel the same about the ASO after Cam's last 2 posts and the additional info they provided? Just curious. I don't see how they could just cancell something of this magnatude without making some effort to reschedule, reroute or something. If Robbie had $4.5 million invested just think how much VW or Mitsubishi and alike had in it. We are talkin some big bucks. Don't take me wrong I don't want anyone getting hurt but for as long as that event has been held it has crossed some pretty hostile land populated by some pretty hostile people. The ASO should have regrouped. Re printing rally notes kinda pales in comparison to the losses that every team suffered. I still think Dakar is done, forever. Maybe they should have hired Blackwater USA for security. I hear their looking for work.

[petepecas]

They should have called the Fish for advise on a back up plan, :D
now, ther´s a guy with huevos...never gives up.

[151FAB]

Hey Todd (151fab) do you still feel the same about the ASO after Cam's last 2 posts and the additional info they provided? Just curious. I don't see how they could just cancell something of this magnatude without making some effort to reschedule, reroute or something. If Robbie had $4.5 million invested just think how much VW or Mitsubishi and alike had in it. We are talkin some big bucks. Don't take me wrong I don't want anyone getting hurt but for as long as that event has been held it has crossed some pretty hostile land populated by some pretty hostile people. The ASO should have regrouped. Re printing rally notes kinda pales in comparison to the losses that every team suffered. I still think Dakar is done, forever. Maybe they should have hired Blackwater USA for security. I hear their looking for work.

I never said I liked the ASO. Or the French, for that matter. The ASO runs the Tour De France like **** as well. My point was that without knowing the severity of the threat you have no basis to criticize. I more than agree that they should have had a contingency plan and they probably will in the future, this will be an expense that will be reflected in higher entry fees though. Without a pre-planned contingency there is no way they could have put together another race within a few days. I still really think the insurance companies had a much larger role in these decisions than the ASO did. You have to look at the insurance co; they will make sure that if the threat of a claim is high the payment will substantially increase. If the insurance co reviewed the threat level and decided to pull out or raise the price of the coverage at the last minute then what is the ASO supposed to do.

Or...we could all just go back to calling the French and the ASO pussies, this thread is funner to read that way.:D

[Blanco]

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/599689/original/robby-gordon-mad.jpg

[Blanco]

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/can-the-dakar-rally-take-place-in-south-america/?hp