Ben Spies excited to be part of Ducati family

After missing out on his first Ducati debut at Valencia due to his shoulder injury, Ben Spiesfinally became a full member of the Ducati family when he took part in last night’s unveiling ofPramac Racing Team’s GP13.

Pramac which will have factory support from Ducati and the team also has two new sponsors,Ignite Asset Management (a New York-based, alternative-asset-management firm led by a group of hedge-fund industry veterans and supported by private investors with a passion for motorsports) for Spies, while team mate and MotoGP rookie Andrea Iannone will be sponsored by Energy T.I., an energy company.

Hopefully ‘ignite’ will also be the key word that will help set Spies on fire after his horribile 2012 season with Yamaha.

“I am excited to be a part of the Ducati family. This is something I’ve wanted from the beginning of my racing career. My team and I have our work cut out for us and new goals to meet, but we’ll benefit from factory support and Audi coming on board. Ducati has four strong riders with different styles, which should improve the Desmosedici and bring it back up to the top where it belongs,” said Spies

Pramac Racing will play a key role in the development of the Ducati Desmosedici GP13, and Ben Spies’ experience and talent will be essential to the project and Francesco Guidotti said that Pramac he is honoured to have have Spies as part of their team. [Ducati had previously turned down Spies when he knocked on the Italian manufacturer’s door back in 2008 - the American then turned to World Superbikes in 2009 as a stepping stone to MotoGP].

“Pramac Racing Team is honoured to welcome Ben Spies, who has enormous talent and a spectacular riding style. We’re expecting a big challenge, but thanks to the important support of sponsor Ignite Asset Management and our new status as a Ducati factory-supported team, we are sure we will live up to expectations. With Ben, we’ll endeavour to speed up the development process on the bike to achieve our objectives as soon as possible. We’re enthusiastically looking forward to the 2013 season.”

Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse MotoGP Project Director added: “We’re very pleased with the agreement we’ve reached with Ignite Pramac Racing Team for 2013, which has the Francesco Guidotti-run team taking on factory-supported status, with an even closer link to Ducati’s racing department. This is also demonstrated with the presence for the first time of Pramac Racing Team at Wrooom, the fantastic event taking place in Madonna di Campiglio. We’re very confident that Ben Spies will be able to use his talents to help us with the development of the bike and to achieve the results we’re after more quickly, and we thank the sponsor Ignite Asset Management for its support on this project.”

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

it's cold outdoor !

Watch the highlights from the 12 th stage of Dakar won by Nani Roma (Mini-Michelin).

Dakar2013, étape 12 : Roma s’impose à Copiapo / a stage win for Roma in Copiapo

Nani Roma (Mini/Michelin) profited from today’s action to claim his third stage win of the event. The Spaniard, who was followed over the line by Robby Gordon (Hummer), has gained a footing on the provisional podium alongside Peterhansel and De Villiers.

L’Espagnol Nani Roma (Mini/Michelin) a remporté sa 3e victoire d’étape sur ce Dakar. Il s’est imposé devant Robby Gordon (Hummer), qui avait fait une bonne partie de l’étape en tête, et prend la 3e place du général derrière Peterhansel et De Villiers.

Etape 12 : Fiambala-Copiapo (715 km)

Copiapo seems such a long way from Fiambala: approximately 500km, half of which was on dirt and included interminable climbs, steep descents and a bumpy asphalt road that just never seemed to end. However, the overnight camp situated some 10km from Copiapo sits in the middle of sumptuous dunes which made the long journey well worth the effort.

This year, the drive down the awesome dune that towers over the camp was not on the menu. Instead, the finish was located about four kilometres away, on a dirt track in the middle of a vast deserted plateau. Meanwhile, this was the last predominantly sandy stage of the 2013 event and consequently perhaps the final chance for the USA’s Robby Gordon to profit from the potential of his Hummer.

Indeed, the flamboyant American spent most of the stage in the lead – at least up to Km222 – but he was beaten at the very end by Nani Roma who took advantage of the last 40km of stony ground to catch and pass the Hummer. Roma’s win takes him past his team-mate Leonid Novitskiy to third overall. Novitskiy was only ninth today as he recovered from the emotions of Wednesday when his Mini was swept away by a river.

Giniel de Villiers was third-fastest on the stage, just 7s behind Gordon. He still figures in second position overall behind Stéphane Peterhansel who collected the fourth best time on SS12. Guerlain Chicherit fell back from seventh place after encountering transmission trouble, but Orly Terranova is still fifth ahead of Carlos Sousa (Great Wall) and Ronan Chabot whose SMG team-mate Bernard Errandonea got stuck in sand along with Christian Lavieille.

The Truck class saw Karginov and Mardeev secure a one-two finish today for Kamaz/Michelin, ahead of the Michelin-equipped Ivecos of De Rooy and Biasion. The provisional overall top-three is monopolised by Kamaz drivers Nikolaev, Mardeev and Karginov. De Rooy is fifth, behind Kolomy.

Que c’est loin, Copiapo, quand on vient de Fiambala : 500 km, dont la moitié en terre, des ascensions interminables, des descentes « en rappel » et une route asphalte bosselée qui n’en finit pas. Mais le bivouac de Copiapo, situé au milieu des dunes, à une dizaine de km de la ville, est toujours aussi somptueux.

Cette année, les concurrents ne dévalent pas la grande dune derrière le bivouac. L’arrivée est jugée à 4 km, dans un vaste plateau désertique, sur des pistes caillouteuses. Cette spéciale, la dernière « sable » du rallye, était peut-être la dernière occasion pour l’Américain Robby Gordon de se mettre en évidence sur son Hummer.

Le généreux pilote américain a longtemps fait la course en tête – jusqu’au km 222 au moins -, mais il a été coiffé en fin de spéciale par l’Espagnol Nani Roma qui a profité des 40 derniers km sur pistes caillouteuses pour fondre sur le Hummer. Roma prend la 3^e place du général à son équipier Leonid Novitskiy, seulement 9^e aujourd’hui après ses péripéties de la veille (sa Mini a été emportée dans une rivière).

Giniel de Villiers a signé le 3^e temps à 7 secondes de Gordon. Il reste bien sûr 2^e du général derrière Stéphane Peterhansel, 4^e aujourd’hui. Guerlain Chicherit a perdu sa 7^e place au général en raison de problèmes de transmission. « Orly » Terranova est toujours 5^e devant Carlos Sousa (Great Wall) et Ronan Chabot. Son équipier Bernard Errandonea (Buggy SMG) et Christian Lavieille se sont ensablés.

En Camions, les Kamaz/Michelin ont signé un doublé aujourd’hui, avec Karginov et Mardeev, devant deux Iveco/Michelin (De Rooy et Biasion). Au général, trois Kamaz sont leaders avec Nikolaev, Mardeev et Karginov. De Rooy est toujours 5^e derrière Kolomy.

Classement étape 12

1. Roma/Périn (Mini), 3h36min34s – 2. Gordon/Walch (Hummer), +4min18s – 3. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), +4min25s – 4. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini), +6min03s – 5. Terranova/Fiuza (BMW), +6min26s…

Classement après étape 12

1. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini), 32h50min02s – 2. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), +50min21s – 3. Roma/Périn (Mini), +1h31min06s – 4. Novitskiy/Zhilstov (Mini), +1h34min47s – 5. Terranova/Fiuza (BMW), +2h01min50s…

W1910 THE ESCAPE

A hurried man walks on the concrete. He jumps on the transportations.
He litterally seeks to leave from this noisy city, from this tight suit. He gets on an ageless train.
The key he plays with, alternately anxious and contemplative, intrigues.
At the end of this trip, he finds himself facing what nature has best to offer.
We’ll know nothing about him. The journey can begin.



Directed by : THOMAS PAULIN
Starring : DIMITRI STOROGE
Executive Producer : MELANIE CLÉMENÇON
Producer : BENOIT COPIN
Director of Photography : FREDERIC VALLET
Helicopter view : FREDERIC JACQUEMIN
Style : W1910
Production Assistant : CEDRIC QUINTIN
Art Direction : NAO NUSSBAUM
Thanks to : NICOLAS VANNEUVILLE
YANNICK TRIHAN & JEROME
w1910.com
soixantedixsept.com

Monte Carle ; bilan de la deuxième journée: Loeb gère sa marge de sécurité en tête / Loeb defends ‘safe’ lead

The second day of the 2013 Rallye Monte-Carlo saw Citroën/Michelin’s Sébastien Loeb maintain his control at the top of the provisional standings. He has kept the gap between him and the chasing Sébastien Ogier (2nd, Volkswagen/Michelin) to just over one-and-a-half minutes. Fellow DS3 WRC driver Dani Sordo (third) has gained a footing on the podium.

Au terme de la deuxième journée du Rallye Monte-Carlo 2013, Sébastien Loeb garde le contrôle de la situation en tête du classement général avec sa Citroën/Michelin. Il conserve une avance légèrement supérieure à 1'30" sur Sébastien Ogier (2e, Volkswagen/Michelin), son plus proche poursuivant. Lui aussi au volant d'une DS3 WRC, Dani Sordo (3e) a pris pied sur le podium.

Despite typically mixed ‘Monte Carlo’ conditions, including two completely snowy visits to ‘St Bonnet’ (SS6/9), there has been little drama among the front-runners on Day 2 of the 2013 season’s curtain-raiser. However, although the nine-time world champion still has a firm grip on first place, there have been several changes in the order as some of the WRC’s rising stars claimed fastest stage times today.

Sébastien Ogier caught his rivals asleep when he won the morning’s first test, SS5 (‘La Batie d’Andaure-Lalouvesc 1’), to confirm the potential of the new Volkswagen Polo R WRC which is making its world class debut this week in France. Russia’s Evgeny Novikov thanked Ford/M-Sport for his promotion to ‘works’ status by claiming SS6 (‘St Bonnet 1’) and SS7 (‘Lamastre-Alboussière 1’), while fellow Fiesta WRC driver Juho Hanninen won the second attempt at the snow-covered ‘St Bonnet 2’ (SS9).

Loeb was quickest on SS8 (‘La Batie d’Andaure-Lalouvesc 2’) before rounding off the day with a victory on the second visit to ‘Lamastre’. “It’s been a good day,” he acknowledged at the end of SS10. “Especially St Bonnet, although it was a bit rough second time round. We’re still leading by the same margin we had this morning, and that was my aim.”

A score of five top-three stage times for Ogier (2^nd, +1m35s) kept the smiles on the faces of Volkswagen Motorsport’s management, although team-mate Latvala (6^th, +3m43s) was passed into fifth place by the charging Novikov on today’s very first stage. “I’m very happy,” beamed Ogier after the last test. “We’ve had no problems with the car at all and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way so that I can continue to defend second place.”

Spaniard Dani Sordo (3^rd, +2m38s) was Thursday’s other charger. A consistent performance took him past his Citroën team-mate Mikko Hirvonen – who has dropped from third to fifth (+3m22.7s) – after the first loop’s second stage. “This is turning out to be a great battle,” commented the Spaniard. “It’s been a very difficult day, and I know that tomorrow's stages are likely to be even tougher..."

Overnight fourth place is held by Novikov (+2m53.2s), while the rest of the top 10 is now: Hanninen (Ford), Bouffier (Citroën), Ostberg (Ford) and Prokop (Ford) in that order. Kosciuszko (Mini) has battled his way up to 14^th spot after being delayed by engine trouble on Wednesday.

En dépit des conditions changeantes typiques du ‘Monte Carlo’, notamment pour les deux passages dans une spéciale de St Bonnet (ES 6/9) complètement enneigée, il n'y a pas eu beaucoup de rebondissements dans le groupe de tête au cours de la deuxième journée de l'épreuve qui inaugure la saison 2013. Si le nonuple champion du monde conserve sa mainmise sur la première place, il y a néanmoins eu plusieurs changements dans le classement au gré des meilleurs temps signés dans les spéciales par quelques-unes des valeurs montantes du Championnat du Monde des Rallyes.

Prenant ses rivaux encore mal réveillés par surprise, Sébastien Ogier a remporté le premier tronçon chronométré de la matinée (ES 5, ‘Labatie d’Andaure-Lalouvesc 1’) et confirmé le potentiel de la nouvelle Volkswagen Polo R WRC qui fait ses débuts au niveau mondial cette semaine en France. Le Russe Evgeny Novikov a remercié Ford/M-Sport de l'avoir promu pilote d'usine en s'adjugeant l'ES 6 (‘St Bonnet 1’) et l'ES 7 (‘Lamastre-Alboussière 1’), tandis que Juho Hänninen, également aux commandes d'une Fiesta WRC, était crédité du meilleur temps sur la neige qui recouvrait entièrement ‘St Bonnet 2’ (ES 9).

Loeb était le plus rapide dans l'ES 8 (‘Labatie d’Andaure-Lalouvesc 2’) avant de terminer la journée avec une victoire dans le second passage dans ‘Lamastre’. “La journée a été bonne”, reconnaissait-il au terme de l'ES 10. “Particulièrement dans St Bonnet, même si c'était un peu chaotique lors de notre deuxième visite. Nous sommes toujours en tête et notre marge est la même que celle dont nous disposions ce matin, ce qui était mon objectif”.

Avec cinq classements dans les trois premiers en spéciale à l'actif d'Ogier (2^e, +1'35"), les responsables de Volkswagen Motorsport gardaient le sourire, même si son équipier Latvala (6^e, +3'43") avait dû céder sa cinquième place à un Novikov attaquant à outrance dans la toute première spéciale d'aujourd'hui. “Je suis très content”, lançait un Ogier rayonnant après le dernier tronçon chronométré. “Nous n'avons pas rencontré le moindre problème avec la voiture et nous croisons les doigts pour que cela continue ainsi et que nous puissions préserver notre deuxième place”.

L'Espagnol Dani Sordo (3^e, +2'38") fut l'autre homme en verve de ce jeudi. Ses performances régulières lui ont permis de passer devant Mikko Hirvonen, son compagnon d'écurie chez Citroën – qui a chuté de la troisième à la cinquième place (+3'22"7) –, après le deuxième spéciale de la première boucle. “Tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour une somptueuse bataille”, commentait l'Espagnol. “La journée a été très difficile et je m'attends à ce que les spéciales de demain soient encore plus délicates..."

Ce soir, la quatrième place est occupée par Novikov (+2'53"2), tandis que la suite du top 10 est désormais composée de Hänninen (Ford), Bouffier (Citroën), Ostberg (Ford) et Prokop (Ford) dans cet ordre. Après avoir été retardé par des problèmes de moteur mercredi, Kosciuszko (Mini) est remonté en 14^e position.

Dakar2013, étape 12 : Au tour de Verhoeven

Après David Casteu et Olivier Pain, c’est un autre pilote Yamaha/Michelin qui s’est mis en évidence sur ce Dakar. Le Néerlandais Frans Verhoeven a remporté la 12e spéciale entre Fiambala et Copiapo. Ruben Faria et Joan Barreda complètent le podium du jour.

Etape 12 : Fiambala-Copiapo (715 km)

Le problème avec la traversée de la Cordillère des Andes, c’est quand on tombe en panne ! Moteur cassé au km 150, nous avons réussi à nous faire tracter sur plus de 200 km jusqu’à une descente infernale, en épingle, sur une piste en terre. Sans freins ni direction assistée, on se voyait mal poursuivre notre périple qui durait déjà depuis sept bonnes heures… Heureusement, une voiture de l’organisation a bien voulu nous prendre en stop jusqu’au bivouac de Copiapo.

Voilà pour nos aventures. Les motards, eux, en ont vécues bien d’autres aujourd’hui dans cette dernière étape difficile du Dakar. La victoire est revenue à une Yamaha/Michelin, celle de Frans Verhoeven, malheureux depuis le départ de cette édition. Il devance Ruben Faria d’1min38s. Derrière, c’est très serré après 319 km de spéciale avec Barreda, leader jusqu’au km 201 où il a jardiné, Duclos et Rodrigues groupés en 34 secondes. Cinq marques différentes occupent le top-5 du jour.

Au général, pas de changement parmi les leaders avec Cyril Despres (à 9min15s du vainqueur) qui mène toujours devant Ruben Faria et « Chaleco » Lopez qui n’a pas profité du retour du Dakar au Chili. Despres avait décidé de temporiser aujourd’hui pour « protéger » la 2^e place de son équipier.

Classement Etape 12

1. Verhoeven (Yamaha) – 2. Faria (KTM), +1min38s – 3. Barreda (Husqvarna), +3min01s’ – 4. Duclos (Sherco), +3min17s – 5. Rodrigues (Honda), +3min35s…

Classement après étape 12

1. Despres (KTM) – 2. Faria (KTM), +5min39s – 3. Lopez (KTM), +13min40s – 4. Jakes (KTM), +20min16s – 5. Botturi (Husqvarna), +34min52s…

Showtime - 2013 WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo -

BCR's Crew Bike: Doinker's CB750 SOHC Urban Scrambler

 

 



 
Pics taken by Blacksheep Photography

St-Bonnet-le-Froid: Monte Carlo magic at its best!

With few exceptions, the Rallye Monte-Carlo’s annual visit to St-Bonnet-le-Froid has been one of the highlights of the WRC since the creation of the championship. Today’s two competitive loops around the small village have been a magnet for rally fans, with thousands and thousands of spectators braving the sub-zero temperatures and snow to admire their heroes.

We checked: there are 39 villages or small towns called Saint Bonnet in France. The local tourist office wasn’t sure, but we also found out that Saint Bonnet was a former Archbishop of Clermont-Ferrand, at the end of seventh century. His remains, which travelled through the village following his death on the way back from a pilgrimage to Rome, are kept in the cathedral of the city where Michelin has its headquarters, and not very far from the factory where its WRC tyres are made…
The population of this normally sleepy place is just over 220, but today it has been invaded - literally - by rally enthusiast and journalists from all over Europe. Both the start and finish of the stage are just a short walk from the narrow main street which has been closed to traffic for the day, otherwise the inevitable jams would bring the rally to an immediate standstill. The thousands of spectator cars – and buses! - are parked along the country roads that feed into the village, although the Gendarmerie is vigilantly keeping the rally itinerary clear.
Between the day’s two attempts at the 25km classic (SS6/9), Saint Bonnet’s ‘centre’ is packed with people looking for a little shelter from the persistent snow and freezing temperatures(-10°C). At midday, the few bars and restaurants were bursting, forcing customers to spill onto the snowy streets to enjoy their coffee, cocoa or hot wine, and eat their frankfurters and chips. The result is a great festive atmosphere, while the later competitors do their best to pick a path through the crowd on their way to SS10.
Very soon, the cafés will empty, and the plastic goblets, plates and forks will be thrown into bins as everyone heads back to find a vantage point beside the stage itself. And who can blame them for not wanting to miss a moment of the magic? This week’s wintry weather has provided one of the most spectacular backdrops the Rally Monte-Carlo has seen in years!
from  best-of-rallylive

Cascada : great images

Just when you think you’ve grown a decent pair of cojones — you know, conjured up enough bravado to hit the next level rapid — out comes “Cascada”, an adventure film that blends bold cinematography and gut-wrenching paddling. “Cascada” follows seven audacious paddlers as they make their way through the Mexican jungle in search of the perfect waterfall (from where we’re sitting, they achieve it) with high definition cameras in tow. It’s unbelievable stuff; we’re not surprised, because the film is the latest from the mavens at Forge Motion Pictures.

Hard Enduro Race in Wales – The Tough One 2013

2 videos after the jump.

Last year’s most dominant hard enduro racer, Graham Jarvis, picked up exactly where he left off in 2012 as he made a winning start to 2013 with a victory at The Tough One. Despite a strong field, Jarvis made light work of the three-hour race in Wales to finish ahead of KTM’s Jonny Walker and Gas Gas rider Danny McCanney.

BMW GS HISTORY

The R80 G/S was the first incarnation of what we now call an entire category of "enduro" motorcycles, unveiled for the Paris-Dakar races of the 1980's, but almost immediately becoming the mount of choice for world adventure riders. 

Looking forward from 30 years ago, it might have been hard to imagine a dirt-capable bike might end up with 105 horsepower, ABS brakes, electronic suspension alignment and traction control. Yet despite all of these radical, space-age refinements, the adventurous, end-of-the-world spirit of the original GS lives on in the latest GS bikes.

 

New Bell Custom 500 Motorcycle Helmets

Equipment manufacturer Bell produces a series of helmets Bell Custom 500 especially for fans of retro and classics, as well as owners of vintage motorcycles: street-trackers, cafe racers, custom bikes, Bobber and other retro bikes. For the new season, Bell has developed three color designs of Bell Custom 500: Good Times, Panel and RSD Trouble.

New Helmet Bell Custom 500 Good Times brings us back to the 70s. On one side of the helmet is written: “Not Here For a Long Time” and on the other “Here For A Good Time”. The color scheme of the helmet is perfect that can approach the owners of motorcycles with bronze or rusty elements that are often found on the retro bikes.

Helmet Bell Custom 500 Panel has a more modern graphics: white and orange stripes on a black background, chrome strip along the path.

  

Les temps forts de la 11ème étape du Dakar./ Watch the highlights from the 11th stage of Dakar

In English 

Caselli (KTM) takes 2nd win on stage 11; great pics

Red Bull KTM factory rider Kurt Caselli (USA), drafted into the Orange factory team to ride the KTM 450 Rally bike of injured teammate Marc Coma on Wednesday picked up his second stage win in his first ever Dakar. Teammates Cyril Despres and Ruben Faria consolidated their 1-2 overall positions after Stage Eleven of the Dakar 2013

Maragni photos

Dakar 2013, étape 11 : Spéciale stoppée par les crues

The 11th Car/Truck stage of the 2013 Dakar was halted at Passage Control 1 (Km83) as a result of flooding in the mountains near Fiambala. The stage win went to Robby Gordon (Hummer), ahead of Ronan Chabot (SMG buggy).

La 11e spéciale du Dakar 2013 a été arrêtée au CP1 (km 83) pour les autos et camions en raison de rios en crue dans les montagnes de Fiambala. La victoire revient à Robby Gordon (Hummer) devant Ronan Chabot (Buggy SMG).

Etape 11 : La Rioja-Fiambala (481 km)

The Catamarca region has been responsible for a few nasty surprises for competitors on this year’s Dakar. Last Saturday’s SS8, which visited the same area, had to be neutralised at Passage Control 2 after numerous drivers were caught out by fast-rising water in several rios. Today, the vehicles were blocked once again by raging torrents, this time to the north of Fiambala.

The organisers took the decision to stop the cars after PC1, just 70km after the new start to the stage which had already been shortened by 32km. Competitors still had a chance to enjoy the first dunes but, after that, they were requested to drive straight to Fiambala via a direct route.

“When we reached the bank of the rio, I saw Novitskiy’s Mini floating backwards in the strong current,” related Guerlain Chicherit after the stage. “That was a little scary, so we drove on for three more kilometres before we found a narrower spot to cross, about seven or eight metres wide. We took a run at it and jumped over the river,” added the former freeride skiing champion!

Leonid Novitskiy spent several minutes caught in the river at Km70 and his co-driver Konstantin Zhilstov was even forced to swim to the bank. This evening, the X-Raid mechanics will have to strip the Russian driver’s Mini entirely so that it can dry out.

Like the Motorbike category, the cars battle was won by an American, namely Robby Gordon (Hummer) who finished ahead of Ronan Chabot (Buggy): “It’s a shame, I was glad to be back in more open territory.” Lucio Alvarez was awarded the day’s third best time.

Stéphane Peterhansel got off to a poor start today but continues to top the leaderboard: “We got lost looking for the best solution up a long climb that had been rutted by the heavy rain.” The Frenchman still enjoys a comfortable advantage over Giniel de Villiers who was the fastest driver over the early part of today’s stage.

Décidément, la région de Catamarca a réservé de mauvaises surprises aux concurrents du Rallye Dakar 2013. Samedi dernier, tout près d’ici, la 8^e spéciale avait été neutralisée au CP2 à cause de rios en colère ayant piégé de nombreux véhicules. Aujourd’hui, c’est à nouveau des torrents infranchissables qui ont bloqué autos et camions au nord de Fiambala, en fond de vallée.

Les organisateurs ont décidé d’arrêter la spéciale après le CP1, c’est-à-dire après seulement 70 km parcourus contre le chronomètre (le départ avait déjà été reculé de 32 km). Les concurrents ont tout de même pu goûter aux 1ères dunes avant de rejoindre Fiambala par une piste directe.

« Quand on est arrivé au bord du rio, j’ai vu la Mini de Novitskiy emportée en marche arrière par les eaux en furie », expliquait Guerlain Chicherit à l’arrivée. « Ca m’a peu refroidi. Alors on a fait un détour 3 km plus loin, à l’endroit où le rio était le plus étroit, entre 7 et 8 mètres. J’ai pris mon élan et on est passé par-dessus. Les sauts, je connais… »

Leonid Novitskiy est resté de longues minutes dans ce rio au km 70. Son copilote Konstantin Zhilstov a même dû nager pour rejoindre la berge. Ce soir, les mécaniciens X-raid vont devoir démonter entièrement la Mini du pilote russe pour un séchage complet.

Comme en Motos, l’étape a été remportée par un Américain. Au CP1, Robby Gordon (Hummer) devançait Ronan Chabot (Buggy) : « C’est dommage, on avait retrouvé les grands espaces que j’aime bien ». Lucio Alvarez est crédité du 3^e temps.

Au classement général, Stéphane Peterhansel reste en tête malgré un mauvais début de spéciale : « On s’est perdus en cherchant la meilleure voie dans une longue montée creusée par les pluies. Demain, plus de rios, mais des dunes et je redoute de rester coincé dans une cuvette » Le Français compte toujours une avance confortable sur Giniel de Villiers, virtuel leader en début de d’étape.

Dakar 2013 – Leg 11: Caselli claims muddy Fiambala stage

The USA’s Kurt Caselli (KTM/Michelin) notched up his second stage win of this year’s Dakar in the mud near Fiambala. Today’s action also saw Cyril Despres extend his overall lead over Faria and Chaleco Lopez.

Leg 11: La Rioja-Fiambala (483km)

For most of the day, it poured down along Ruta 60 between La Rioja and Fiambala, filling the drainage ditches with water. After Tuesday’s heat wave, the riders consequently faced a cocktail of rain and mud over today’s 191km stage, but at least the sandy base prevented the surface from cutting up too badly over the dunes, making life easier for the amateurs. But that was only over the dunes…

“It was muddy for 180km,” reported Cyril Despres, visibly exhausted when we talked to him in the comfort of his camper van at tonight’s bivouac in Fiambala. “At Km120, the rain was very heavy and the muddy sections were about 30 or 40 metres wide. I had to drive along a flooded stream to get past in one place. There was fog, too, and I wasn’t sure of my heading at times. Along with Joan Barreda, I went in the wrong direction right at the beginning. It was an extremely tricky stage, and I’m glad it is over…”

The win went to Kurt Caselli: “I caught Cyril at Km60 and stayed with him to the finish. I went ahead of him but we ran together the rest of the way. It was a bit like motocross in places; I loved it.”

Helder Rodriguez (Honda) ran with the American rider initially but was halted at Km198. Fellow Honda rider Gerard Farres Guel got no further than Km47.

Joan Barreda, Paulo Gonçalves, Chaleco Lopez, Joan Pedrero and Ivan Jakes settled in behind Despres at around Km140 but they then dropped back during the final section, except Gonçalves who went on to post the second best time. “The navigation was quite hard but I didn’t make any mistakes, so it was a good day.”

The provisional leader Cyril Despres is now 13m16s clear of his team-mate Ruben Faria. Lopez is third (+18m8s), ahead of Ivan Jakes (+23m33s) who followed a wrong heading at Km33. Alessandro Botturi (Husqvarna/Michelin) rounds of the Top 5 despite taking a 15-minute penalty following an engine change.

Stage 11 positions:

1, Caselli (KTM), 2h55m1s. 2, Gonçalves (Husqvarna), +4m45s. 3, Despres (KTM), +6m24s. 4, Pedrero (KTM), +10m18s. 5, Lopez (KTM), +10m51s. Etc.

Provisional positions after Leg 11:

1, Despres (KTM), 33h48m29s. 2, Faria (KTM), +13m16s. 3, Lopez (KTM), +18m8s. 4, Jakes (KTM), +23m33s. 5, Botturi (Husqvarna), +29m32s. Etc.

Monte Carlo : Leg 1 Highlights - 2013 WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo

Although he has no plans to contest the entire WRC in 2013, Sébastien Loeb has clearly lost none of his motivation. The first four stages of the Rallye Monte-Carlo saw the Citroën driver leave his rivals gasping for breath, their ranks led by Volkswagen’s Sébastien Ogier who trails by 1m20.3s (!) after almost 140km of competitive action. The third man on tonight’s all-Michelin podium is Loeb’s team-mate Mikko Hirvonen (+1m46.7s).

The snow that swept over much of France during the early part of the week made way for brighter, drier weather today as the 2013 World Rally Championship got under way with two loops of two stages.

Because of the resulting mixed conditions (clear asphalt, ice and snow), however, especially on the two visits to the awesome ‘Le Burzet’ test (SS2 and SS4), nearly all the front-runners (including Loeb!) were relieved to survive what turned out to be one of the most complex days in recent ‘Monte-Carlo’ history.

“There was less snow on Le Burzet than this morning but there were a number of places where you couldn’t tell whether the road was wet or icy. The damp patches appear to be refreezing but you couldn’t be sure,” reported the Frenchman at the end of SS4. “I lost grip in a few places, so I wasn’t completely confident. It’s good to have reached the finish…”

The veteran’s closest chaser tonight is his ex-Citroën team-mate, Sébastien Ogier, who has given Volkswagen an encouraging start to its first full WRC campaign. The Frenchman even led momentarily after SS1 before being passed by Loeb. VW will be pleased that he had a relatively trouble-free run, but Ogier himself spent much of the day repeating that he was concentrating on his own performance and not taking any notice of Loeb’s times…

Citroën’s new number one driver Mikko Hirvonen is third overall, but he rarely showed any real speed. “I really don’t know why,” he said at the end of the day. “I hate these conditions!”

For his first rally back in Citroën colours, Dani Sordo will be hoping for a strong points finish this week and his careful drive was rewarded by provisional fourth place (+2m01.7s), just behind Hirvonen.

Meanwhile, Jari-Matti Latvala is fifth (+2m32.2s) in the second Volkswagen Polo R and would have been challenging for a footing on the podium had he not taken a 30-second penalty for late arrival at the start of SS2. As a result, he is closely chased by Ford/M-Sport’s best-placed representative, Evgeny Novikov (6^th, +2m50.6s).

Tonight’s top 10 is rounded off by Citroën privateer Bryan Bouffier (7^th) and Ford Fiesta WRC drivers Juho Hanninen (8^th), Monte rookie Mads Ostberg (9^th) and Martin Prokop (10^th).

The day’s chief victim was Ford’s Thierry Neuville who crashed out on SS4, while Michal Kosciuszko’s first day of competition in a WRC car was poorly rewarded when his Mini picked up an engine problem. He is 21^st. For information, the ‘Rally2’ ruling does not apply to the Rallye Monte-Carlo, so a driver who retires cannot re-join the next day.

LOSSA ENGINEERING KAWASAKI Z1000

I don't know what it is about old Kwackers but they just get the blood pumping more than any other of the Big Four manufacturers. Maybe it’s some warped childhood Sesame Street connection; a two-wheeled Kermit The Frog on angry-crack, but whenever I see one, I want one.

It was the same story for Eric Bostrom (pretty sure that’s the AMA rider, brother of Ben Bostrom) who wanted to turn his 2012 model Z1000 into something which looked like the KR750 machine of Gary Nixon. EventuallyLossa Engineering got in on the act with some new bodywork and wheels machined from BILLET which look freaking fantabulous- better than the original Campagnolo style rims.

The new-old bodywork on this new Z1000 has me intrigued. The tricky bit is that the KR750 style reference had a tank which only held fuel. The new Z1000 has a tank which holds fuel, and an airbox. Where did the airbox go? This is where ‘making new bodywork’ becomes much more difficult than glassing up some fibre around a mould.

 Huge tacho...might get Mexican for lunch today I think...

Wheels machined from scratch- mimicking original Campagnolo style items.

 Its an exhaust can bonanza out there!

Kicked up ductail takes us straight back to the '70s.

Legendary Kawasaki tuner Erv Kanemoto with Gary Nixons KR750. He later took Freddie Spencer to his 1985 250/500 double world championships for Honda among other championships. (Thanks to sfree1 for the info!)

Photos: Lossa Engineering

 via wideopenmoto