The Dakar is not over yet !
Half the Dakar 2013 has been done however there is still many difficutlies to come and I won't take the 2nd week lightly.
A good first week I was concentrating enough, no "patch up job" or big mistakes. What a pity in the long straight lines because of my quad I was disadvantaged in top speed
The great moments at mid-Dakar. Exellent memories of the Nike Pas Cher 5th day, it was during the special, the shortest but nice and dificult stage of the rallye. A real "Dakarian" stage with tiring dune at the beginning, then "Fesh fesh", narrow and technical crossing as the bike-quad circuit is often separate from the cars. So tracks are narrower and for trial, I liked it very much as it's the kind of special ASO got us used to ride the years before. This year the course is very good for riding with only a few big dunes at the beginning of the week.
A nice allusion to about 20 kilometres on the Pacific ocean beach. I got pleasure in dodging in and out among the waves, just when the water is receding, the small crabs were around panic striken.
And at last, wonderful landscapes at an altitude of 5000 m as I crossed the Andes, on the same day I brushed with both stiffling hot temperature and mountain cold. This stages rode tn pas cher in the altitude ended at night with a lonely and no aid bivouac. A two days marathon stage with 1600 km covered.
As for the rank I'm happy as this year the level is very high qualitatively not only regarding the riders but also their machines. 39 riders on the starting line, all of them very well trained, hence a well desserved 14th place in Tucuman, the day of rest.
Next week my strategy won't change, I will keep concentrated, sparing with my quad and my reserves. The last 6 days will be very tyring and decisive, particularly crossing again the Andes. The overall ranking might change. The 2013 Dakar is absolutely not over !
2013 High End
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