Dakar : Qui pour succéder à Marc Coma ? / who to follow in Marc Coma’s footsteps?

Après les départs des quintuples vainqueurs de l’épreuve, Cyril Despres et Marc Coma vers d’autres horizons, quels sont les nouveaux prétendants à la victoire du plus célèbre Rallye Raid au monde ?

La situation est inédite, aucun vainqueur du Dakar ne sera présent au départ de l’édition 2016 à Buenos Aires  (Argentine) samedi 2 janvier. Cyril Despres est désormais engagé sur quatre roues au volant du Peugeot 2008 et Marc Coma officie en tant que directeur sportif du rallye. La place de n°1 est donc libre et les candidats sont nombreux.

L'heure est peut-être venue pour une remise en question de la domination des KTM qui ont vu la concurrence se rapprocher ces dernières années. La marque autrichienne avait réussi à conserver sa suprématie avec la présence de ses deux pilotes, Cyril Despres et Marc Coma.

Mature et expérimentée, l’équipe Honda fait figure de principale favorite. Leader de l’équipe japonaise, Joan Barreda, seulement 17^ème en 2015 suite des problèmes techniques, est un sérieux prétendant à la succession de Marc Coma. Il sera entouré de Paulo Gonzales, deuxième de la précédente édition. Les deux pilotes pourront également compter sur leurs coéquipiers, Michael Metge, Paolo Ceci et Ricky Brabec, pour conquérir une victoire qui échappe à Honda depuis plus de 20 ans.

Côté japonais toujours, Yamaha table sur une autre valeur sûre en confiant le premier rôle à Helder Rodrigues, membre régulier du Top 5 depuis 10 ans, mais aussi sur Alessandro Botturi, récent vainqueur du Rallye de Merzouga.

KTM ne sera toutefois pas en reste avec la présence des deux révélations de l’année dernière, Toby Price (3^ème) et le champion du monde de la saison de rallye raid Matthias Walkner. La marque autrichienne compte également dans ses rangs Jordi Viladoms (2ème en 2014) et la surprenante Laia Sanz (9^ème en 2015). Sans oublier Olivier Pain, David Casteu, Stefan Svitko ou encore Ivan Jakes qui ambitionnent un Top 10.

Jordi Viladoms is ready for Dakar 2016 from Jordi Viladoms on Vimeo.

Le Team Husqvarna, dont la moto a été conçue sur la même base que la KTM, aligne deux pilotes habitués au Dakar, Pablo Quintanilla (4ème en 2015) et Ruben Faria (2ème en 2013).

Antoine Meo, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, Ivan Cervantes, champions du monde d’Enduro, tenteront de créer la surprise et de se frayer un chemin parmi l’élite pour leur première participation.

            

Five-time Dakar winners Cyril Despres and Marc Coma have both moved on to other challenges, so who are the favourites to top the world’s most famous cross-country rally this time round?

For the first time in Dakar history, the entry list for the 2016 event – which starts in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Saturday, January 2 – does not include a former winner. Cyril Despres has been enrolled by Peugeot to drive the 2008 DKR, while Marc Coma has become the rally’s Sporting Director. They leave a long list of riders looking to fill the void…

This evolution might also see the end of the recent domination of KTM which has succeeded in shrugging off its rivals competitors in recent years thanks to Despres and Coma.

The experienced Honda squad seems ripe to pick up the gauntlet, led by Joan Barreda who, despite coming a lowly 17^th due to technical issues in 2015, stands out as a possible successor to Coma. He will be partnered by Paulo Gonzales (2^nd last January), along with Michael Metge, Paolo Ceci and Ricky Brabec as the Japanese brand seeks to claim its first Dakar victory in more than 20 years.

Meanwhile, Yamaha’s bid is spearheaded by the consistent Helder Rodrigues, a regular top-five finisher over the past decade, teamed with the recent Merzouga Rally winner Alessandro Botturi.

KTM can’t be ruled out, however, and the Austrian bike maker will be represented by two riders who impressed on the 2015 event, namely third-placed Toby Price and the defending cross-country rally world champion Matthias Walkner. Its line-up will also include Jordi Viladoms (2^nd in 2014), the surprising Laia Sanz (9^th in 2015) and top-10 hopefuls Olivier Pain, David Casteu and Stefan Svitko.

The chances of Team Husqvarna, whose bike is designed along similar lines to the KTM, will be defended by Dakar regulars Pablo Quintanilla (4^th in 2015) and Ruben Faria (2^nd in 2013).

The event’s specialists will also need to look out for three Dakar rookies, Enduro world champions Antoine Meo, Pierre-Alexandre Renet and Ivan Cervantes.

Classic Driver’s million-euro Christmas wish list

How would you spend one million euros? It's a question that poses some tricky choices for those fortunate enough to face such a quandary. With Christmas looming, we asked the whole Classic Driver team to submit their one-million-euro wish lists from the Classic Driver Market…

Jan Baedeker, Editor-in-Chief

I don’t need millions to be happy – just 889,000 euros would satisfy me completely. At the top of my wish list is a restoration-ready French stone 17th Century country house, including its own bakery and dovecote. But because you can’t sit at home all day sipping your home-grown red wine, I wish for a green Porsche 911 S, ideal for the house’s surrounding roads. I’d also need a practical yet stylish workhorse, like this classic Range Rover from 1982, in which to carry things. And because the power grid 'twixt Bergerac and Lalinde is notoriously patchy, I’d need an automatic timepiece rather than my iPhone – this Rolex Explorer ‘Steve McQueen’ from my birth year should do nicely. Finally, I’d spend the remaining 111,000 euros on the renovation of my new lounge – perhaps the rest of the house could be finished by Christmas 2017?

Joe Breeze, UK Editor

When I first heard we were doing this fantasy wish list, I thought I’d finally have the chance to ‘own’ my dream car: a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 in Amaranto (burgundy to less obsessed people) with tan leather. However, since our measly million would get me laughed out of the showroom, I’ll instead go for two of my childhood heroes: a Ford RS200 and a Jaguar XJ220, the latter with yellow headlamps for the link to its (ultimately ill-fated) Le Mans campaign. Next, to show I'm not completely devoid of sense or taste, I’d procure myself a first-generation Patek Philippe Nautilus – making sure not to lose it between the panel gaps of the aforementioned Ford. As a BMW fan, I’d then bracket my choices with a pair of Alpinas: a 3.0 CS-based B2 from 1971, complete with period racing graphics that add 10bhp, and an E39-based B10 to run as a daily-driven V8 stealth bomber. Finally, I’d ask Bamford Watch Department to design me a custom Rolex to match each of my cars, and spend the remainder on a piece of artwork for my living room: a 1968 Benelli 250 racing bike. Trust me, that’d be the safest place for it, considering my riding (in)abilities…

Alex Easthope, Staff Writer

On the premise that I already have somewhere perfectly adequate to live (albeit in South London, not the South of France), I think I’ll spend my magic million (or thereabouts) on something much more exotic, like a 1969 Verde Pino Ferrari 365 GTC – with Classiche certification, naturally. While it’s all very well bobbing along the Cote d’Azur soaking up the sun aboard your 100-foot Sunseeker, I’d rather make the trip from San Remo to St. Tropez in my Italian, green gentleman’s express, complete with The Stones on the eight-track, vintage Louis Vuitton trunk – with A.B. initials duly changed to A.E. – nestled in the back and, preferably, Brigitte Bardot alongside (of the same vintage as the car, please). And being the Riviera, it’s simply got to be a gold watch – I’ll take this gorgeousearly-1970s Heuer Carrera, which should work beautifully against both the Ferrari’s tan leather and my golden tan, the latter of which is arguably the biggest fantasy of them all. I guess I’ll be footing the hotel bills myself…

Charis Whitcombe, Associate Editor

I’ve taken inspiration from my stepdaughter who, when eight years old, was asked what she wanted for Christmas and replied, “A Ferrari… and Portugal”. In other words, while my colleagues find 1m euros a healthy budget, I consider it a bit on the mean side. I have my beady little eye on an 18th Century manor house in France, on the edge of the Parc Naturel Régional des Causses (note the library with open fire, and outbuildings to accommodate your guests when they get on your nerves), but that puts a first-rate 911 Carrera RS 2.7 out of reach. And that’s before the essentials… such as a drop-top for those regular day trips to Bordeaux. So, forget the Porsche and I’ll take a glorious 1950s motorbike instead, such as this fine-looking Vincent Black Shadow, which leaves enough fora Riva – moored in Biarritz, I think. Anyway, it’s an improvement on the oven gloves I got last year.

Alexandra Felts, freelance writer

I’d like a boat, please – in particular the 76-foot custom Ketch built by Abeking and Rasmussen in 1962, which would be perfect for the day I decide to sail around the world. I could also watch the America’s Cup from the comfort of my teak decking. On terra firma, I think the eccentric 1963 Facel Vega Facel II – a car that charmed Pablo Picacco – would make me very happy indeed. I’d also like an elegant 1970 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, for two reasons: it’s one of the few cars not listed as POR, and because the model’s nicknamed the ‘Queen Mary’ after the famous ocean liner, which ties up the nautical theme. I’ve always coveted the IWC Ingenieur from the early 1960s, for its understated assurance. I doubt this one’s seaworthy but no matter: it allows for some money left over to pay my crew.

Amy Shore, freelance photographer

Dear Santa,

I promise I’ve tried to be good this year, save perhaps for the time I drove my Mini right up to the Angel of the North when I wasn’t really allowed, but I’m forgiven for that, right? As such, I think my 1m euros wish list is actually quite reasonable. There are these really gorgeous motorcycle posters I like, and they’re only 16,000 euros… To expand my collection of miniature vehicles (from a collection of one to, well, two) I’d love this dinky Fiat 500. And finally, as my dream car, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, is slightly out of reach, I’d happily settle for this gorgeous 1956 190 SL Roadster. Why don’t you and Mrs. Claus go for a spin before you drop it off? 

Feeling inspired? Just like us, you can agonise over what to pick from the Classic Driver Marketfor a million euros, be it real or figurative.

BLANK CHECK: BILL BECKER’S IMMACULATE XS 650

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If you had no deadline and a blank check, what sort of motorcycle would you build? For Bill Becker, the answer is this perfectly proportioned Yamaha XS 650.

Based in Philadelphia, Bill is a retired architect who’s spent the last several years working on customs and restorations. His bikes draw aesthetic inspiration from the 60s and 70s, with improved functionality.

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A friend of Bill’s son caught wind of his work, and twisted his arm to take on the project (Bill never takes commissions). Relatively new to motorcycles, the client’s only requirement was that the bike have a vintage vibe—leaving the choices wide open.

It sounds like a dream brief, but as Bill points out, “Working with carte blanche is not as easy as it seems.” Like most of us, he’s used to boundaries. “In my architectural practice I was accustomed to budgets and constraints.”

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To narrow things down, Bill and his client visited the Barber Vintage Festival. The donor would have to be robust yet attractive, and easy to work on and find parts for. So they settled on the Yamaha XS 650.

Ironically, there’s not much left of the original XS (besides the fuel tank and engine). Instead, Bill’s reworked the bike with a smorgasbord of desirable upgrades.

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With the owner preferring the upright ergonomics of a street tracker to a café-style tuck, the direction for the build became clearer. First on the list was an all-new, custom-made frame and swingarm from Trackmaster.

Bill then headed further down the rabbit hole with a set of Yamaha R6 forks, mounted via triple trees from Lazer Racing. Out back is a set of Öhlins shocks.

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The wheels (19 inches at the front and 18 at the rear) are equally trick: Talon hubs laced to Excel rims with stainless spokes. With so much emphasis on performance, modern Avon Distanzia tires made sense.

With so much fettling to the Yamaha’s chassis, suspension and geometry, Bill needed to set up an all-new, one-off braking system. Enter ISR of Sweden—who fabricated a set of bespoke rotors to his measurements, supplying all the parts needed to build up a quality system.

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The engine’s naturally been given the once-over as well. Mikes XS supplied a pair of XS Performance carbs, stainless steel exhaust headers, reverse cone mufflers and sundry other hop-up parts. The exhaust system’s been ceramic coated, and the velocity stacks are from CycleSmith.

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“One of the important goals for me when building a bike is to improve on the original equipment,” says Bill.

So the electrical system has been modernized with a 220W, three-phase Sparx alternator and regulator/rectifier from 650 Central, plus LED lighting. It’s also running a speedo and tacho combo from Speed Hut. Bill decided to mount it—and the 7-inch LED headlight—in custom aluminum bezels to show them off.

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The bezels are works of art in themselves, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Bill estimates that he fabricated close to a hundred aluminum and chromoly fittings to complete the bike. (What we wouldn’t give to pore over this bike in person).

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The finishes are equally considered—nickel-plating on the frame, a repaint of the engine and a full complement of stainless steel fasteners. Then there’s the sublime vintage green paint on the restored stock fuel tank and XR-style flat track seat from Hotwing Glass. (Look closely: the seat’s been wrapped in the same color leather.)

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Bill’s customer has a truly one-off, classy, 300lb. thoroughbred on his hands. Yes, we’re jealous.

Images by Roman Torres. (Motorcycle photographer based near Philadelphia, all fees go to The Monkey And The Elephant charity.)

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via BIKEexif