AULRO member in Dakar

[Chucaro]

Have any of you news in how John B (Jay Bo Rover) is going in the Dakar?
His thread is HERE (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/parking-lot/164590-not-dakar-but-getting-there.html)
There is some info HERE (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php't=944895) but bugger if I know were are news of him :(

[weeds]

From memory he had to pull out of this years event due to injury.......he is entered in the 2015 event

[Chucaro]

Thank you Kelvin, I just have a look HERE (http://www.fullnoise.com.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_full&news_id=16479&Ntitle=Rallye:%20Six%20Australians%20Set%20To%20Ta ckle%202014%20Dakar%20Rally.) the list of the Australian riders and he is not on it.

[JayBoRover]

Hiya guys. The organisers (ASO) have agreed to defer my entry to Dakar 2015 due to injuries I received on day 1 of the Australasian Safari in September. I fractured the heel of my right foot and the middle Metacarpal of the right hand. I now have a Titanium plate in my right hand. (The first time I have failed to finish a Safari in 5 attempts!:()

I am healing well, although the plate in my hand has fractured and is separating so I will need more surgery to remove it in a few months. This is being scheduled for late April after I have competed in a couple of big bicycle races (the "BDO 4-day Tour of Northland" in NZ in March and the "5-Dams Challenge" in Perth in early April). My hand currently has just over 50% strength but still getting hand therapy and it is improving nicely:cool:.

So, I will be ready and fully fit for Dakar 2015! It has all worked out well because I now have a full year to prepare knowing that I have a confirmed entry (normally you don't know if you're accepted until around July/August) meaning I can make better support arrangements, use my own bike in the Dakar rather than hiring one and chase sponsors. Might even organise to take my Defender as support vehicle if I can interest Land Rover Australia in assisting me.

Thanks for your interest:).

[Chucaro]

I am glad that you injures are healing well, keep us posted and have patience, it is better to be 100% fit and strong for these kind of competitions.
How are going the other Australians? Are you keep contact with them?
Cheers
Arthur

[JayBoRover]

I am glad that you injures are healing well, keep us posted and have patience, it is better to be 100% fit and strong for these kind of competitions.
How are going the other Australians? Are you keep contact with them?
Cheers
Arthur
Getting messages from a few sources from some friends I have racing still. There are 3 of the original 6 Aussie riders still going at the rest day:

- Troy O'Connor. a publican from Queensland, is doing very well and seems in good spirits. He spent quite some time helping another fallen rider the other day and got some kudos for that. Troy was doing okay last year but blew an engine. He's a hard rider and a bit hard on his gear, but this year seems to have settled down a little and is doing well. If he continues to take it easy he'll do pretty well and get to the finish, somewhat surprising me. Good job!

- Allan Roberts from Adelaide is doing a stirling job in his first attempt at Dakar. He's actually posting some respectable times and getting through each day. He's another that has helped out other riders, swapping his rear wheel with a top rider the other day at the marathon bivouac and earning himself kudos with the factory team and a brand new factory wheel, Mousse and tyre for his effort - as well as keeping his original wheel.

- Shane Diener, also from SA, is doing well in his first Dakar, although he has had a couple of issues. He had very little preparation for the event as he won the "Dakar Challenge" in the Australasian Safari so only had a few months to get all his ducks in a row. Another top job from a real Aussie.

The 3 to drop out are:
- Ben Grabham, racing with the KTM factory satellite team, who crashed out and was taken to hospital for observation for concussion. He was released the same day, but game over for the race.

- Mark Davidson withdrew after a couple of very tough days. The footage of him really shows how difficult this race is - he was absolutely shattered but an American rider helped get him to the start of the next stage but Mark simply couldn't keep going. This was Mark's third attempt and the altitude seems to knock him very badly every year. I suspect he'll try again only when the Dakar moves to lower altitude maybe one day.

- Clayton Jacobson withdrew early on. I don't have too much details of this though, but I'm pretty sure it was his first attempt.

I seem to recall a statistic a couple of years ago that only 5% of rookies finish the Dakar in their rookie year! It's a small box I've painted myself into! That statistic is even scarier for my competitors next year because I'll be one of those 5%, so that's one less space for everyone else!

Cheers

[JayBoRover]

This is my right hand with the now broken plate that was installed and will now need to come out:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1079.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/GaelJohn/media/2013%20Safari/IMG_1486_zpse38e60d6.jpg.html)

It's the knuckle of the middle finger:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1080.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/GaelJohn/media/2013%20Safari/PB040014_zps078639a4.jpg.html)

[Chucaro]

Thank you John for the report, it is sad news about the Belgium rider. It appears that was not for not having water, I have to read the Argentinian paper to see what was the problem.
The last news that I have from overt there were fatalities from members of the public that were following the race. A ute with young Cordobes when down a cliff and an old rider have cardiac arrest :(
The extreme heat is one of the problems that have to be face this year

[JayBoRover]

Just thought I'd re-liven this old thread from early this year. I am in fact entered in the Dakar Rally for 2015 and fly out for Buenos Aires on December 27th. My race number is "101", quite ironic when I bought a Land Rover 101 Forward Control a few months ago:).

So I have Ben, my mechanic from Motueka (at the top of the South Island of New Zealand) coming with me as service crew. I actually landed him a job with the Spanish XRaids Team that I have engaged for my service and support, so Ben will look after my bike and one other bike. This has worked out perfect for me, as I get to have my mate along (we have worked together on the Australasian Safari a few times), an English speaking mechanic, and it saved me lots of money because I didn't have to pay his entry (about $12.5k) - only the service charge for XRaids as a standard customer (about $24k). (My entry was another ~$24k, so after paying the airfares, hotel accommodation for the start and finish, buying a few spares, paying for access to the KTM spares truck (another 2,000Euro), buying a pair of fully rigged spare wheels (with disks, sprockets, cush drive hub, etc), buying a bunch of tyres and transporting the bike to France, I'm about done financially!:() My Defender 90 might be for sale by the time I come back in late January:(.

I will be competing on my own KTM 450 Rally bike that I have used in the Safari a couple of times.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/756.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/GaelJohn/media/2015%20Dakar%20preparation/PA040012_zps7ca7f93a.jpg.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/757.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/GaelJohn/media/2015%20Dakar%20preparation/PA040011_zpsc13fb29b.jpg.html)

I had it air-freighted it to Paris a few weeks ago, had it trucked it to the French port of Le Havre, where it was then loaded on the Dakar organiser's ship to head to Buenos Aires.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/758.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/GaelJohn/media/2015%20Dakar%20preparation/photo3_zps7f4b616b.jpg.html)

So I get to collect the bike on 30th or 31st December and uncrate it ...
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/759.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/GaelJohn/media/2015%20Dakar%20preparation/PA120005_zps40f449ce.jpg.html)
... put my sponsors graphics on and final preparation and then report for entry documentation on the 1st of January at 3:45pm. Technical inspections will follow on the 2nd Jan and then the official start ceremony kicks off at 3pm on the 3rd of Jan. The real work starts on Jan 4th for the first of 14 stages.

I see there are a few Land Rovers in the Dakar - the Bowler race cars and a few Defenders (not sure if entered as assistant vehicles or competing in the production classes). I'm quite sure I'll chat with them at some stage;).

Anyway, that's it for now. Yell out with any questions if you like and I'll try and answer as best I can before I go. There's a fair bit of information on the organisers website - Dakar 2015 (http://www.dakar.com/index_DAKus.html)

[justinc]

Good luck john!,

not quite the same as the dakar; but I'm sitting here remembering the enormity of competing in the aus safari and the intoxicating excitement of the first actual competitive stages!

Wishing you a safe and fruitful event.

Jc

[jon3950]

Yeah good luck.

Just getting to the start is an achievement. Hope you enjoy yourself and come back in one piece. Will follow the bike results as well now.

Cheers,
Jon

[The ho har's]

Best of luck John:) Stay safe, looking forward to watching Dakar...


Mrs hh:angel:

[cjc_td5]

Rider sheet JAN ROELF BOUWKNEGT :Dakar (http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2015/us/rider/101.html)

Go JayBoRover go! Got the first stage under your belt, only 14 odd days of hell to go! :D

All the best!

[cjc_td5]

Jan (JayBoRover, bike #101), withdrawn on stage 2 :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:dbcry::dbcry:

I hope you are OK Jan and you can salvage something from the event, even a rece for "next time".

Withdrawals bikes page :Dakar (http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2015/us/withdrawals/bikes.html)

[Homestar]

Hope you are ok John. Let us know what went on when you get sorted.

Cheers - Gav.

[Ranga]

A little more info here, but not much.

JayBo's journey to Dakar 2015 - Page 21 - ADVrider (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php't=982888&page=21)

Well done Jaybo, a huge effort regardless!

[JayBoRover]

Hope you are ok John. Let us know what went on when you get sorted.

Cheers - Gav.
Hiya Gav,
I'll be writing a bit of a report on the trip in ADVRider Forum, so I'll cut and paste the bit about what exactly happened when I get to that. In a nut shell I suffered serious dehydration in the 52 DegC heat in the extremely tough Stage 2, mainly because a double-gee punctured my drink bladder and I lost my water. I was choppered out of the stage to the bivouac medical facility to get an IV bag of fluid in me. I was one of 20 moto entries to DNF Stage 2, as well as 7 quads and 4 cars. The IV line at the medical tent was like a production line! The moto rider that unfortunately died the next day, I believe of a heart attack, had also been one to suffer dehydration on the Stage 2. It was carnage and extremely difficult.

As you can imagine, there's a lot more to it that this with many factors contributing.