Dakar Update
	www.motorsports-network.com

KTM Factory Effort Dakar 2003 - Update Page
(Dakar coverage is below on this page)
Dakar Web Site Link

February 20, 2003
KTM USA celebrates their participation in the 2003 Dakar Rally and officially announce they will return in 2004
Tonight we attended KTM's celebration for the companies US team effort in this years Dakar Rally, said by many to be the toughest event yet. To provide us with a little local flavor of the actual Rally, the party was complete with a live camel greeting guests and a tent patterned after those used at rest stops (bivouac) complete with upholstered stools and rugs covering the floor. One of the team riders was quick to point out that during the Dakar there was no grass and the wind was usually blowing at least 45 MPH. The tent camp would have also been surrounded by scores of generators running around the clock, providing plenty of noise and diesel fumes to greet you as you tried to grab some much needed sleep after a long day of riding.

The attendance list read like a who's-who of motorcycling. There was the US Dakar team: Scot Harden, Larry Roeseler and Paul Krause. Casey McCoy, on the mend from his severely broken leg, was also on hand as well as the team mechanics and team manager. Speed Channel, who did a great job of bringing the event to us here in the US, was filming for an upcoming piece. Past American Dakar participants including Malcolm Smith and Jimmy Lewis were in attendance and they shared some great stories.

Larry Roeseler	Casey McCoy	Scot Harden	Scot, Casey, LR, and Paul Krause

Malcolm Smith on hand to celebrate	If you finished Dakar, you got one of these. This is Roeseler finisher pin.

Malcolm, who drove his first event in a 2-wheel drive buggy, joked of how the event organizers bring less food than needed to feed the teams, making it necessary for them to weed out participants as quickly as possible by running everyone through what someone else described as a 400 mile long sand dune. Jimmy Lewis, who helped train the team, told of how he searched for a way to ride Dakar for years. Once he competed in his first event and didn't finish, he promised not to return. He did, and after he finished, he once again promised not to return - he did. He describes Dakar, as many close to the event do, as an addiction that gets under your skin.

LR described the Dakar as the pinnacle of his incredibly successful career. He and teammate Krause weren't really sure they wanted to return until about the time they made it back to the states. Casey McCoy who broke his leg during the last leg of training was close to fulfilling a long held dream. After sitting out the event, he told me in an email something I will not soon forget. He said "There is nothing worse than riding Dakar, except for not riding Dakar."  Listening to these talented riders it sank in even more how incredibly difficult, challenging and seemingly impossible this event is. One of the teams two mechanics told me he was planning to go riding in Mexico for three weeks but couldn't find anyone who could get that much time off - so he would go alone. I asked if he was concerned about going to Mexico by himself and he replied that after his Dakar experience, going to Mexico alone was a cakewalk. He went on to say that he never felt comfortable (I took this to mean "felt safe") the entire time he was there. This reinforced with me how words can't do justice in sharing the Dakar experience. When you listen to participants share their experiences you can see in their faces that words alone don't suffice.

This years riders are excited about the growing notoriety the Dakar is getting in the US, displayed to them by the comments of the people they meet when traveling. In fact, on the way to this party somebody recognized LR and rolled down his window while driving and yelled out "DAKAR." Paul Krause, who had been bit by the Dakar bug long ago had been begging Scott Harden to return to Dakar for years. After surviving this years event on the 950, he's ready to return next year as is Scot Harden himself.

The good news is that Red Bull, the major sponsor behind the US team other than of course KTM, has pledged their support to the US team for the next 3-4 years. We've heard KTM say they would return, but Harden says it's official and the US team will compete again next year. The actual team has not been announced at this time but there's plenty of excitement in the air - and it's a bit infectious hanging around riders who have participated. McCoy, a good friend of MN, is anxious to be released to exercise and later to get back on a bike. He swears this will happen this summer and we have promised to travel north to join him as he logs hundreds of miles. Casey rode one of our test bikes last year and then purchased his own EXC 450 - before his involvement with KTM. His bike already has a paltry 4,500 miles accumulated - Casey rides!

With wonderful support and lots of involvement from Red Bull, things look bright for the US team. As a token of our thanks to Red Bull for being so involved in motorcycling, I grabbed a Red Bull for the drive home in tribute to the company. (There's always plenty of Red Bull available around KTM) Scot Harden had told me earlier during our 950 Adventure press ride that it was an acquired taste so I was kind of hesitant. I must say, my first Red Bull ever tasted very good indeed - and I won't hesitate to help support a company that helps our sport. We'll be right here following the exploits of next seasons KTM USA team. Until then, we hope all the riders heal quickly and that they have an even more success next year.

Bill Wolf 

(Jan 18, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: PRESS RELEASE
FIRST TIME VICTORY FOR A SPANISH RIDER!
(The two USA riders finish out the Dakar. This is Krause's second Dakar, Larry Roeseler's first attempt. Larry finished 12th overall, Pual Krause finished 18th overall.)
After twenty six years of hard fighting for the title, Nani Roma won the first “Dakar” for Spain. In so doing, he fulfilled a dream of all Spanish motorsport enthusiasts. It has been a long fight for him to reach the top spot on the podium in 2004.
Supported by a strong Spanish Repsol KTM Team, he rode a smart race avoiding mistakes and was always strictly focused to gain the overall victory.

Huge respect also goes to the second-placed rider and last year’s winner Richard Sainct of the French Gauloises KTM Team. After a serious arm injury, he was still able to fight for the win in the 26th Dakar. It was a tremendous performance, which also makes him a winner of this year´s Dakar.

His Gauloises KTM France team mate Cyril Despres earned third place. Winning several stages he showed all is potential. He will, undoubtedly, be one of the main contenders in the toughest race of the world in the future.

The best privateer of the 26th Dakar was Norwegian KTM rider Pal-Anders Ullevalseter. With a fifth place he put himself between the world's top rally riders. It was an extraordinary performance for a private rider.

For the Team KTM Red Bull USA this year’s Dakar was a first attempt to compete with the world’s best rally riders. Although gaining experience was the primary goal for the American team, the riders proved their abilities with two top twenty rankings. They are sure to return to fight for the top places and further strengthen the sport.

The dramatic fight between the teams during this Dakar proved KTM´s decision for individual country teams to be a good one. Equipped with identical material and equal support this helped to make the race even more attractive. Therefore KTM will stick on this strategy in the future.

Pos. Number Name Mark 1 004 ROMA KTM 2 001 SAINCT KTM 3 002 DESPRES KTM 4 010 COX KTM 5 015 ULLEVALSETER KTM 6 003 MEONI KTM 7 012 FRETIGNE YAMAHA 8 008 DE GAVARDO KTM 9 022 FLICK KTM 10 023 CZACHOR KTM 11 045 GRAZIANI KTM 12 016 ROESELER KTM 13 020 MARCHINI KTM 14 005 DE AZEVEDO KTM

(Jan 17, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 17th stage Nouakchott – Dakar
A farewell from the dunes without any surprises
The rally crews have finally reached Dakar. Today they had to say good bye to the dunes and the loneliness of the West-African Sahara. Bye, bye Mauritania, welcome to Senegal. Today Nani Roma did everything right: He kept close to Richard Sainct. This way he would be save that the Frenchman wouldn’t endanger his first place in the overall standings. "I rode very carefully so I wouldn’t make any mistakes. Now I’m in Dakar. I’m pretty nervous. There are so many Spanish journalists here. Tomorrow nothing should go wrong."

Richard Sainct, too, is not only content about winning the stage, but about the overalls as well. "I’m so happy that I was able to finish the race at all. And now that I am able to claim a place on the podium it makes everything perfect. Nani deserves his victory, he didn’t make any mistakes. That is what sport is all about. At one time you win, at other times somebody else does." The entire KTM-team admires what Richard Sainct has accomplished. In spite of the injury on his forearm he has since the 4th stage he was racing until the finish. There aren’t many riders which would have endured this until the end of the rally.

And finally, Cyril Despres was satisfied about today as well. "I achieved my minimal-goal and defended my 3rd place. That isn’t only important for myself, it is also important to the team." His team includes, we don’t want to forget, Jean Brucy, too. In the meantime he has swooped sides and become a "spectator". Tomorrow he will have the chance to celebrate with his team-mates. Team Gauloises KTM France (102 points) leads in the team overall standings ahead of Team Repsol KTM Spain (132), Team Gauloises KTM International (175) and Team Red Bull KTM USA (471).

This year’s Dakar rally has demanded the maximum of its participants. The more surprising it is that many private riders (that have used the KTM support) fought their way to Dakar. We have enormous respect for them, because they are:

On January 1st Matteo Graziani was the first one to clinch a stage in the 26th edition of the Dakar rally. He won the prologue enduring awful snow conditions. And now he, too, has reached Dakar. Today he arrived in 9th place. Although Matteo Graziani enjoys his vineyards near Rimini most, he is continuously drawn out into the world. Graziani’s passion is riding motorbikes. Best he likes racing them at rallies and whenever possible he likes riding them fast. "That is what I need," explains the winegrower from Forlio, "Riding motorcycles is the perfect compensation to the winegrowing business." He is racing the Dakar rally for the second time now. His success is obvious. If his luck keeps up tomorrow the Italian would rank in 9th position, a wonderful accomplishment. The KTM-support-crew has contributed to his success, but they weren’t the only ones. It is also for the help of Larry Roeseler. "Larry shared his gasoline so that I could go on," explains Matteo, "I thought it was awfully nice of him. After all, he was racing for a good placement. And maybe this is exactly what makes the Dakar so special: the cooperativeness among each other." Matteo feels comfortable within the large rally family. It is this feeling that helps him endure the torment of the thousands of rally kilometers."

About tomorrows’ stage the riders dream about since they started in France. It is the stage at Lac Rose right in front of Dakar city. It means that they have managed to reach the finish. New this year is that there won’t be a all-at-once-start of the whole field of competitors at the lake. The riders will start separately and then they will finish their Dakar at the Atlantic coast. Time is taken on 27 kilometers and traditionally no one is going to touch the overall standings during the last day.
Stage Results
01. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France)
02. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 2´05
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 2´24
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 4´40
05. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 5´51
10. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 13´20
11. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 14´54
12. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 15´49
21. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 30´16
Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 5´02
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 46´48
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 49´47
06. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 3 h 07´24
08. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 4 h 14´03
12. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +6 h 09´03
18. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 10 h 25´33
23. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +12 h 08´25

(Jan 15, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 15th stage Tidjikja - Nouakchott
The Italian old hand presents his skills
Last week some tire problems had irredeemably thrown him back. On Monday, the rest day at Bobo Dioulasso, Fabrizio Meoni confidently assured, “I’m waiting for the Mauritanian stage.” Meoni knew, on that day he would be able to present his skills. A farewell performance? After all Meoni said, too: “Maybe this is my last Dakar rally. I’m 47-years-old and I think it is normal that I’m thinking about quitting. One has to accept his limits. I’ll probably never race more cautious in the future either. But I don’t want to take such a risk. One has to be modest enough to recognize his age. I’m not immortal.” Today Fabrizio Meoni was able to show just how great he can perform. And he was content with himself. Arriving at the bivouac in Nauakchott the pleasant Italian exclaimed, “Today was the first day that everything went the way I wanted. I didn’t make any mistake and my motorcycle was running very well. It was a great race. Maybe I have a chance to win again tomorrow.”

Richard Sainct managed to gain some time, but it looks like Nani Roma isn’t about to give up his leadership. The Spaniard arrived in 3rd position. After arrival at the bivouac he kept to himself looking for rest. Jordi Arcarons, his team manager, knew exactly why, “The race is not over yet. Just imagine some little repairs need to be made then the 7 minutes lead on Richard will quickly melt away. Isidre is riding too far in the back; he can’t help Nani quickly enough. Tomorrow Nani needs to ride very careful, very relaxed. Tomorrow’s stage is the last one that counts. Hopefully, he’ll safely get to Dakar.”

At this time of the race everyone within the large KTM-team is content with the long Spaniard winning the rally. Fabrizio Meoni states, “Nani has tried it so many times now. He really deserves it. And with the time gap he has got he can surely reach Dakar in the top position. That is his opportunity now.” Gilles Salvador, manager of the team Gauloises KTM France, judges just as fair. “I want it for Nani and Spain. It is a race and there is only one winner. Next year it is maybe Richard again or maybe Cyril to lead the pack. The KTM teams and the individual riders are fighting passionately in the race. But when they reach the finish they all get along great!”

The fight for the 3rd position is still loaded with suspense: Cyril Despres against Alfie Cox – youthful ambitions against long lasting experience. Only 43 seconds separate the two. “43 seconds,” states Alfie, “that really isn’t all that much. Tomorrow I will start ahead of Cyril. So I really need to pace forward and push for power.” Lee Palmer, his mechanic, is working to prepare his KTM 660 Rally really well. “I’m going to prepare the bike so that Alfie will be able to fly!” And hopefully he will safely land in Dakar.

Team Gauloises KTM France was able to defend its leading position in the team standings (98 points). It still leads ahead of Team Repsol KTM Spain (118). Team Gauloises KTM International (166) claims the 3rd position and Team Red Bull KTM USA (440) is in 4th position.

After all these strenuous stages, the 16th stage from Nouakchott to Dakar is a route for pleasure. Time is taken on 191 km out of the 647 km of the stage. The track isn’t all that bad either. The route to Dakar could become a show run. The A.S.O. is expecting thousands of Senegalese people along the track cheering for the “survivors” of the 26th edition of the Dakar rally.
Stage Results
01. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 0´46
03. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 3´19
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 6´48
05. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 8´23
06. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 15´23
10. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 38´29
11. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 43´00
19. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1h 39´15
Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 7´07
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 46´29
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 47´12
06. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 3 h 03´38
08. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 4 h 01´14
12. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +5 h 57´48
17. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 6 h 47´39
22. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +11 h 54´41

(Jan 15, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 14th stage Ayoûn El Altroûs – Tidjikja
Roma wards off all attacks
(Both US riders move up)
His beaming calmness might just be on the surface. Nani Roma must be boiling on the inside. What kind of triumph will he be gaining? The Spaniard suppressed all thoughts about the finish at Dakar yet. “Of course I’m really content about my 3rd place today. Especially do I like how I accomplished it.” Roma was able to ward off any attacks from Cyril Despres and Richard Sainct. In the dunes he was able to catch up with them. While the two Frenchmen made a navigational mistake again, Nani Roma did not have any problems orientating. Almost - at least. “At km 30 I made a small mistake, but afterwards everything worked out well. Especially, since this slip did not make me nervous at all. I think that I have learned a lot from Jordi. We talk together every night and work on my road book. Jordi has collected lots of experience here in Africa. He is the calming influence of our team. He makes me feel secure about myself.” Jordi Arcarons, manager of the Team Repsol KTM Spain, has had an irritating night. So he was even more relaxed at the finish line. “Nani rode an exceptional race. Yesterday we were more than worried about Marc Comas’ the state of health. Marc has been very important for Nani as well. Now he has to take care of everything by himself. Luckily it worked out perfectly today.”

Cyril Despres was much quieter than the Spaniard while walking through the bivouac. His third victory of a stage did not really make him happy. And he didn’t want to listen to questions about his chances of the top place in the overall standings. “I’ll be attacking tomorrow again for sure. At least I’m going to try to do so.” The young Frenchman is mad about the navigation mistakes that he made today.”

What about Richard Sainct? The leadership in the overall standings has moved in a far distance. However, he is much more relaxed in his situation. “I have won this rally three times already. Tomorrow will be the last possibility to close in on the 4th victory. And I’m going to do anything that is necessary. Today I had to lay the track for the field. Fretigne has chosen his starting position and decided to start second. It is a regulation which neither one of us follows.”
For all members of the KTM team it still astonishes that in spite of the injury on his arm Richard Sainct is performing so well in the race. He claims an excellent 2nd place in the overall standings. After today’s stage his leeway on Nani Roma is about 10 minutes, while Cyril Despres is about 41 minutes behind the Spaniard.

Let’s take a look at the team-rankings. Team Gauloises KTM France (91 points) leads ahead of Team Repsol KTM Spain (109 points). If nothing unexpected happens there is hardly a chance that this will still change. In 3rd place is Team Gauloises KTM International (161). In the professional rankings Team Red Bull KTM USA is in 4th place (410). The Scandinavian team (217) is better than the Dakar newcomers from America. They lead the amateur rankings. There should not be a question who rides in that team. It is P.G. Lundmark and Pal Anders Ullevalseter. Respect!

After the first part of the marathon stage, at the bivouac in Tidjikja, the only help the riders can hope for comes from the fast assistance trucks. These are the trucks that participate in the race. The service-trucks and –cars are already on their way towards tomorrows finish at Nouakchott. Among the participants in the cars are:

Silent heroes
They drive their own race – the people from KTM that take care of that the material and mechanics reach the next bivouac on time. It is not unusual that the service-crews pack up everything when it is still dark and leave for the next finish line of the stage. Sometimes they lay more than 1000 km away. Today it was 830 km from Ayoûn El Atroûs to Nouakchott.

It is a 24-hour-job for the boys and girls from KTM. Right after arrival they need to unpack, organize and work on the bikes. Even after a 12-or-more-hour drive they need to fully concentrate on their work. “It demands a lot,” explains Wilfried Kershhaggl, KTM head of marketing. He rides in a Nissan assistance-vehicle. “Sometimes it is close to everyone’s limits. As an average we sleep about 6 to 7 hours within two days.” In order not to endanger the crews in the cars and trucks by the over-fatigue of the driver they switch driving. “Driving is really tough,” tells Ernest Loedl. Everyone calls him Arafat. For a cure, the experienced assistance-truck driver suggests to get stuck once in a while, to drink a lot and to exercise. It isn’t the first time Loedl participates, but the route the assistance has to drive is exceptionally hard. “Daily you are put under time pressure and you drive on tracks that are similar to the rally routes,” he states. “Partly we are driving on the race tracks. And we carry along 3 to 3.5 tons of weight. This isn’t all that easy.”
Nevertheless nobody wails and nobody complains. Everyone contributes its best that the rally becomes a full success for KTM. After all everyone knows that the Dakar is the toughest rally in the world – for the assistance too!

Tomorrow the second part of the marathon stage has to be challenged. The special is about as long as today’s (579 km). The dreaded camel grass will probably annoy the riders. Further their navigational skills are asked for. The stage towards Nouakchott is the last one that can mix up the overall standings.

Stage Results
01. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France)
02. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 1´23
03. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 4´14
04. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 6´29
06. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 14´23
10. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 35´36
11. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 37´41
12. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 44´57
22. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1h 38´01

Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 9´40
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 41´25
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 43´43
07. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 3 h 06´57
09. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 3 h 26´04
13. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +5 h 18´07
18. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 6 h 47´39
24. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +11 h 42´57

(Jan 14, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
2004: 13th stage Bamako – Ayoûn El Altroûs
Spanish tranquility and French attacks
(Roeseler and Krause continue to chip away, each rider moves up one place)
It was an unexpected tough stage. During the months of fall it has rained a lot in the Sahel-region. Now the tracks in this part of West Africa are littered with deep holes and ruts. The route demanded a lot of power and concentration.
If there was someone who lost today, it was definitely Cyril Despres. For about 400 km his attack was very successful. "It was afterwards," explained the Frenchman, "when my hands started hurting. My motorbike’s hand protectors had fallen off and the thorns on the bushes along the way scratched my hands. I couldn’t turn the acceleration handle as far as I had wanted to. Afterwards my concentration slipped and some small navigation mistakes happened." He wasted precious minutes on that. The leadership in the overall standings has moved in a far distance. However, the 29-year-old does not surrender yet. "I’m going to attack again tomorrow."

Nani Roma doesn’t pay much attention to such talk. The leader of the overalls was able to watch his competitor today. "I believe Cyril has enormous problems navigating properly. He was going right, he was going left. Obviously he just couldn’t find the right way." Roma had more luck today, although there were several moments of fright along the way. "At first I was stopped by a cow and crashed. And 40 kilometers before the finish line my temperature display started to blink. From that moment on I had to go on slowly to reach the finish line safely." In spite of today’s dramatic fight concerning the leadership of the overalls the Spaniard keeps surprisingly calm. "I ride my own race and only think about one stage at the time. I don’t care just who is going to attack me. I won’t let them put pressure on me. It would really be great if I should be able to defend my leading position until Dakar. It would be a fabulous success for Spain."

Richard Sainct will definitely be trying to prevent this wish. "I’m going to attack farther. Today it wasn’t exactly what I had wanted to accomplish. For a long time I was riding in the dust of Lundmark and Ullevalseter. Tomorrow I’ll only have one rider in front of me. There is only one goal I’m aiming for: celebrating my victory at Dakar."

Alfie Cox had to bury his dream today. "In spite of my experience I made many mistakes. I don’t exactly know why. The navigation was just too difficult for me." At the beginning of the stage Alfie had stopped at Marc Coma’s side. "Marc has had a brutal crash. I witnessed it. For a moment he has lost consciousness. When his consciousness returned he didn’t know where he was. I helped him to stand up again. Marc climbed back on his bike again and rode on. For a moment I wasn’t so sure if he knew what he was doing." At the finish line Coma was still a little wobbly. First test however showed that he is doing okay.

Paul Krause, too, had a lot on his agenda as well. The rider of the Team Red Bull KTM USA wasn’t really content with his 21st place. "The track had lots of zigzags and I had a hard time changing directions again and again," explains the 39-year-old. Today his thoughts were with his daughter who turned 8 years. For her he already has accomplished one little mission. Breanne handed him a lucky charm for the journey. It is a paper doll called "flat stanley". "I’m taking pictures of the little guy from everywhere," tells Paul. "It is kind of like a competition in my daughter’s grade at school. When Breanne’s teacher came to know that I’m leaving for the Dakar rally she was thrilled." Breanne will certainly think alike because she will surely have the most pictures in her grade. Isn’t it just great that daddy is racing in Africa? By the way, he is doing so for the 2nd time. Paul Krause has already participated in 1998 and arrived at Dakar in 14th place.

Let’s look at the momentary overall standings. Richard Sainct is barely 7’25 minutes behind Nani Roma. Cyril Despres moves from place 4 to place 3, but the gap has widened to 45’39 minutes. Alfie Cox is right behind him.

Tomorrow the riders are going to tackle the 2nd marathon stage. The first part includes crossing 551 km towards Tidjikja. Sand and dunes await the competitors. Since the rest day, Fabrizio Meoni was been looking forward to this stage. There is no chance for him to win the rally this year. Tomorrow he wants to show what he can really do. A farewell performance? At the bivouac there will only be the support of the fast assistance which is driving along the race. The service trucks have already started on their way towards the bivouac at Nouakchott.
Stage Results
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 3´41
03. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 6´22
05. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 13´32
06. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 13´39
08. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 21´02
09. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 24´03
12. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 28´17
15. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 33´55
19. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 54´07
21. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 56´29
Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 7´25
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 45´39
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 46´34
07. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 2 h 45´21
09. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 2 h 56´48
11. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 3 h 04´47
15. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +4 h 44´40
18. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 6 h 47´39
31. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +11 h 11´35

                  (Jan 13, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 12th stage Bobo-Diolasso - Bamako
Operation "attack" at full blast
(Roeseler has his best finish at 9th on terrain like home. Paul Krause finishes 20th for the day.)
(Scot Harden has learned his ankle is broke in two places, he's taking it easy for a few days)
For Cyril Despres the days of enforced rest must have been difficult to endure. There was nothing he could do to change anything. These tough rally kilometers where he could have attacked his opponents had been canceled and in the overalls he is still behind the leader by about 45 minutes. And it is the first place in Dakar he is dreaming of.

Now there is only one tactic left for the young Frenchman. "Since the day I made the big mistake I’m attacking. It is the only thing I can do," explains Cyril Despres at the bivouac in Bamako. It was the 8th of January when Cyril went astray on the way from Atar to Tidjikja. He lost one hour that day.
He won the longest special on Friday and he was victorious on today’s special as well. With that gained 10 minutes back on Nani Roma. His opponent and team-mate Richard Sainct however lost some precious minutes. "Thank goodness we don’t have a team order, neither with KTM nor with Gauloises," mentions Cyril Despres. "And I’m glad about that because I get to attack. Every one of us has the chance to win and everyone is allowed to win."

At the finish Richard Sainct wasn’t completely satisfied with himself. "I couldn’t ride as I wanted to. The holder of my seat was broken and it got loosened. Of course this was a big hindrance for me because after all the stage wasn’t all that harmless. We had to endure lots of dust and there were lots of people and animals on the track. One had to be extremely careful."

It was an outstanding race for Larry Roeseler from Team Red Bull KTM USA. He claimed a 9th place today, his best placement so far. The track was made for the Dakar-newcomer. It had a fast and firm surface and lots of zigzags – much like the tracks that the 46-year-old Californian is used to. "I liked the heat and the dust. That is what reminds me of home. Today everything was working out well." And his team coordinator Joe Barker was happy as well. "Larry knows what he is doing. He is fast and that was what he was able to prove. The terrain was made for him." Larry Roeseler enjoys every day that he can go on in this rally. "I want to climb on that podium in Dakar. That is my biggest goal. I’m collecting lots of experiences here. This Dakar rally is the climax of my racing career. It is just like the Super Bowl."

Carlo de Gavardo reached the bivouac in the same great mood. The 35-year-old Chilean arrived in 10th position today. "I’m glad about every stage that I perform well. The victory isn’t within reach this year. As a rally-rider I need to find to myself first. I still a little beside myself. My crashes in spring and in September and the two times I broke my arm are still inside my head. Because of that I’m not all that content with my performance here." Carlo is in 9th place in the overall standings.

Even if the order of the standings has not yet changed there has still been some movement in the overalls. Nani Roma is still leading; he was even able to widen the gap on Richard Sainct. Alfie Cox is in 3rd position and Cyril Despres is gaining time, but still staying on 4th position. But the signal is clear: Nothing is decided yet.

It is what Winfried Kerschhaggle, KTM head of marketing, sees as well. "Even when the rally is half over a decisive part of the rally has just began. Even a change on the leadership is still possible. This week will show just how good the team-work within the teams actually is. Discipline among the team will decide who as individual and which team will finish up top. Every team has its own strategy."

Positive news has reached us from Paris: Jean Brucy has not broken his collarbone, but he has yanked out his shoulder blade. Jean doesn’t need to be operated on. That means he will fly to Dakar on Saturday and can celebrate the finish of the rally. Maybe he even gets to celebrate the victory of one of his team-mates.

Tomorrow the fight for the top of the overalls will go on in the next level. The 13th stage leads back to Mauritania, towards Ayoún El Altroús. Time is only taken of 478 km of the 734 km route. The course is new to the rally crews. Again it is important to know how to navigate properly. Who will find its way best – Nani or Cyril? Or is it for a third party to take advantage.
Stage Results
01. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France)
02. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 10´47
03. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 11´25
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 11´57
07. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 17´58
08. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 18´20
09. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 19´20
10. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 19´39
14. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 27´20
20. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 33´37
Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 10´06
03. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 28´53
04. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 33´29
07. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 2 h 17´02
09. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 2 h 30´41
11. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 2 h 49´31
16. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +4 h 22´45
20. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 5 h 57´32
33. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +10 h 44´02

(Jan 12, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: Rest day at Bobo Dioulasso
()
The sun is burning and the thermometer climbed to 39° Celsius in the shadow. One can hardly feel the breeze. There is no cloud in the sky. Doesn’t that sound like a perfect vacation day? No. One is missing the sound of waves and there is no relaxing in the shadow underneath a palm tree.

For the rally crews the rest day is almost like an ordinary day with lots of work to do. Manel Salinas for example has to work. The KTM crew just calls him Manolo. From the time on Nani Roma started riding the Dakar; Manolo does mechanical work for KTM. "Today no part of the bike will stay untouched," states the small Spaniard. "I have stripped the motorbike down to the frame. Now I’m looking for cracks and other damage. That is what I’m going to look for on every other part. After everything is cleaned I putt he motorbike back together. Actually, this is pretty simple, just like playing with Lego. Only the engine will be changed as a whole. The old one has perfectly worked, but fort he second part of the rally a new one will have to be used." What Manolo doesn’t tell: He is hoping that "his" motorbike will finally arrive at Dakar after all this years. Maybe there is a possibility for Nani to even win. This year chances for that are better than ever.

The mechanics will be working on the motorbikes all day long. What about the riders? They’ve got time to relax. And they get to do the little ordinary things of everyday life. Nani Roma describes, "I’m washing my clothes, which is something I never have time to do otherwise. Further we’ll go to a restaurant enjoy our time eating and talking. Additionally I’ll still have to write my road book for tomorrow." Marc Coma gives the following details, "I’m doing laundry today, too. And I’m going to have a nice massage." Richard Sainct explains, "I’ll take it absolutely easy today. That is exactly what I need. Later on I’m going to see the doctors. The injury on my arm heals very slowly, but my subscription of antibiotics is almost all gone." Ralf Pariasek, medical assistant explains why, "The danger of an infection has passed. Luckily, nothing has happened and Richard won’t have to worry about any troubles resulting from the injury. He will still have to take some pain killers. That is why the rest day is especially important for Richard. Finally he gets to relax his arm. For us it is unbelievable how he can go on with an injury like that. He really is an tough boy. To tell you the truth, neither one of the others is mentally as strong as Richard."
The physiotherapist knows his patients since they regularly turn up on his bench. Just like today. To work on them means to knead, to stretch, to tend to the blisters a tense spots for hours on end. He explains what is further important, "I need to keep an eye on everyone to make sure they sleep, eat and drink enough so their energy will revive."

Plenty of energy is exactly what they will need. Large sections of tomorrow’s 12th stage pass through tropical forests. The officials of the rally have pronounced it to be a fast track. The finish is located at Bamako, the Malian capitol. Of the total 666 km only 213 km are taken into the valuation.

Interview with Hans Trunkenpolz, team coordinator KTM

Today is the rest day, how pleased are you with the development of the rally so far?

Concerning the technical part we can be content with ourselves. Only once did we have trouble with an engine, but that was due to a crash. The problems on the tires were owed to the material so it had nothing to do with us. Besides that our material has endured the high stress of the rally very well.

As a coordinator you have to work with the team managers of the individual teams. How does this cooperation work?

Very well. The team managers have to take care of tons of paper work along the way, but they are also the connection between the riders, the mechanics and I. That works out wonderfully. In the meantime each team has learned to work relatively independent. Additionally, for all of them to share we provide one mechanic from White Power, who is responsible for the fenders, one mechanic for the single-cylinder and another one for the two-cylinder KTM motorbikes.

Are the teams to work even more independent in the future?

That would be nice. KTM supplies each rider with the exact same material and we have specialists traveling along. We take care of the spare part supply and coordinate the separate operations. You could say we provide the basic logistics for each team to work effectively and independently.

The rally is not over yet. Is there anything you want to tell the individual teams for the second part of the race?

The motorbikes ran perfectly so far. However that doesn’t mean we should let the concentration slip. The following stages have their difficulties as well. The mechanics and all the others in the background should still get to work as concentrated as the riders do. We are fighting for the victory! And that’s what I’m hoping for concerning the rest of the rally.
So far I can be very satisfied with the duty and performance of all. And the way I became to know our teams I’m sure it will stay like this until the end of the Dakar rally.

About Scot Hardem:
Scot Harden has landed home safely and is now recouping. When asked about his physical condition he replied, “My ankle is three times the size it should be. I’ll be going to the doctors here shortly and then I will know if it is broken or very badly sprained. I just need to take a couple of days to regroup because I’m really tired. ..the rally takes a lot out of you. I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish and I’m going to try it again next year.”

(Jan 12, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: At the bivouac at Bobo Dioulasso
Knights of the road, a lady and the team-lottery
(Last night, Scot Harden flew from Bamako to Paris and afterwards to Los Angeles. Saying good bye was tough. "It was a great adventure for me.)
Today the KTM team-rider had to ride 545 kilometers on their bikes. The route offered no challenges and no difficulties. It was just a liaison on a tarred road. Around noon the teams arrived at the bivouac in Bobo-Dioulasso. The rally-crews have now reached Burkina-Faso. Among the crowd:

Silent heroes- Riding along was also a small woman with a great potential. Yuki Tanaka is the only woman on a motorbike who has made it so far. The 31-year-old Japanese woman participates for the first time at the Dakar rally. For the giant task she chose a KTM and also booked the support-package with the manufacturer from Mattighofen. If you watch Yuki, you can’t help but marvel about her. The woman is 1.60 meter tall, weighs 53 kg and just loves the challenge. For example, she took on the task to cross the desert on a KTM 660 Rally. "I like the desert and I love motorbikes," explains Yuki, who looks scarred and bruised from her crashes. "I suppose that has got to do with my job as a journalist for several motorcycle magazines." The delicate KTM-rider collected first experiences in the desert in Dubai and Morocco. However, riding the Dakar rally is a whole new experience for her. And it also has its grim sides. Until noon today the Japanese was hoping to continue the rally after the rest day. "I’m missing a stamp from CP 2 from the stage on Friday," explains Yuki, "I hope the jury can accept that. It really was a brutal special after all. And I really want to go on. Overall I’m gratified with everything, my motorbike, my mechanic and with the support I receive from KTM. I can just hope and pray." Unfortunately, all hope was in vain. This afternoon the jury decided that Yuki Tanaka is cancelled from the race. As a small comfort she’s allowed to fly along to Dakar and to experience the end of the rally by the end of next week. At the moment the small Japanese woman is very disappointed.

At the afternoon in Bobo-Dioulasso the managers of the KTM manufacturer-teams debated about the brand new KTM team-standings. All teams, but the Spanish one have lost one rider. Gio Salo is missing among the International team, Jean Brucy among the French team and Scot Harden among the US-team. The two fastest riders from each team are taken into the valuation. Only the Spanish team is still in the position to have the advantage of three riders. The Spaniards seem to be bundled in the most perfect way. After all Nani Roma, the current leader of the overall standings, is a member of their team.

This is what the present team-standing looks like:
(Points are rewarded to the two fastest members of a team for their performance that day, e.g. place 4 is rewarded 4 points):
1st Team Repsol KTM Spain 62 points
2nd Team Gauloises KTM France 67 points
3rd Team Gauloises KTM International 113 points
4th Team Red Bull USA KTM 277 points

Jordi Arcarons, manager of the Team Repsol KTM Spain, is content with these preliminary results, "The team-standings are very important to us. We want that our sponsors, who really support us, are satisfied with our performance. That is exactly why I’m just going to find out why Isidre was given a one hour penalty. Even without that he is already several hours behind. We really want to make a great impression at his Dakar rally."

Gilles Salvador (Team Gauloises KTM France) is more concerned about the rankings of each rider. "It is a sport for individuals after all. Richard has a chance to win. And Cyril, too, could stand on the podium. For us it is already a success if one member of the team ranks among the top three finalists." Richard Sainct adds, "The only thing that counts is the individual victory. If we rank among the best as a team as well, it is even better. But I think it is a great idea for the private riders. Due to the team-standings it will be easier for them to step in the spotlight."

Guiliano Cecconi (Team Gauloises KTM International) thinks alike. "Yeah, the team-standings. We will see how it will end up. Unfortunately, we have lost Gio. But we still got Alfie and Fabrizio. There are still stages coming up when Fabrizio can make the best use of his skills. We will see how everything will develop. As a team manager, I want most of all that both of the remaining riders reach Dakar."

It is the same goal that is also most important to the Dakar-newcomers from the United States. They want to obtain a good reputation for themselves to have something to show for back home. Joe Barker, coordinator of the Team Red Bull KTM USA, "It is most important for us to reach the finish line at Dakar. Unfortunately, Scot had to drop out of the race. As rookies we are collecting lots and lots of experience at the Dakar rally. This will be highly important for the future. After all we want to raise the Dakar’s fame back home. It will already be a great success for us if one of our riders ranks among the top 10. That will mean that we rank up front as a team as well."

Last night, Scot Harden flew from Bamako to Paris and afterwards to Los Angeles. Saying good bye was tough. "It was a great adventure for me. I was able to collect many new experiences and we all became a great big family. Never had I thought that the Dakar is so extraordinary. There are so many nations and they all get along so well. It is like the whole world has shrunk together. I am really happy to have been part of it, even when I had to drop out of the race. I hope that others from the States do want to experience the adventure Dakar just like we did. I want to thank everyone who has supported us rookies: Carlo de Gavardo, Hans Trunkenpolz, Claudia Patuzzi, the Spanish riders – simply everyone. Thank you very much."

Tomorrow it is the official rest-day at Bobo-Diolasso. We will keep you updated with news from the bivouac.

(Jan 12, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: At the "improvised bivouac" at Bamako
Helping hands and quick thieves
Yesterday morning 92 riders had started on their way from Tidjikja towards Nema. Today until noon 65 have reached the finish so far. Most of the others were forced to spent the night at CP 3 (kilometer 488). They were completely exhausted.
The plane, which carries the private riders and their motor bikes from Nema to Bamako is supposed to leave around 6 p.m. today. By then, conclusions can be drawn about how many riders survived the 9th stage. With that in mind, Winfried Kerschhaggl’s (KTM head of marketing) conclusion seems correct. Yesterday, he suggested that today and tomorrow’s stages were cancelled do to sporting reasons.

Silent heroes - For about 14 hours the Latvian, Janis Vinters, struggled through the desert. “It was hell. Now I’m only glad to have made it,” was what the totally exhausted rider said late last night. But after a few minutes of rest, a refreshing drink and a few bites of food he is already thinking about his motorbike again. “The holding device for my road book broke after a crash,” explains Vinters, “I ran around through the camp and didn’t know what to do. Than Tatjana Haywards looked me up. This was my rescue from despair.” Tatjana Hayward is the “good spirit” who takes care of the riders who have booked the KTM-assistance-package for the Dakar rally. If a rider runs into problems she gets in touch with Johannes Fahrner, head of the spare part supply, and Christoph Honsowitz, the mechanic. “I offer some advice for the repair and a helping hand if someone is in need,” comments Christoph. Together with him the complete assistance crew helps to support the KTM-riders that their dream can come true and they can take part in the Dakar rally possibly even reaching the finish at the Senegalese capitol in the end. That is what Janis Vinters dreams of as well. The crew of the KTM assistance trucks was of help to him last night.
“With all of our spare parts we could put together a whole new motorbike,” explains Johannes Fahrner. He is responsible for all parts, from the smallest screw up to a whole engine. Everything is in the right order and handy at any time. It’s for this organization that quick repairs can be guarantied. In the end this also saves the time of the private riders. Besides the daily repair work they got one thing on their rally agenda: to ride and ride and ride. Wolfgang Kellner knows how to do so as well. Only he drives the MAN-truck of the KTM assistance team. And he brings them from one stage to the next. For many years Kellner was able to gather his experience in the desert. It is for him to drive the truck to the next bivouac in time.

As for the KTM manufacturer riders, they arrived at Mali’s capitol late morning. Today they were able to take their time to eat, drink, shower, and talk or simply to relax. And they were to remember yesterday’s frustration again. After taking a first breath at the bivouac at Nema one of the riders found out that an important piece of his luggage was missing, his bag. In these small white bags the riders keep their sleeping bags, mats, tooth brushes, personal items and some medication. Before the start, the riders have to hand over their bags and the plane transports the luggage towards the next bivouac. Yesterday morning some thieves must have waited until attention was diverted and obviously stole the luggage of all KTM team-riders as well as some of the others. Last night the riders slept on the mats of their mechanics which stayed in the assistance trucks. At the moment the mechanics drive around in Bamako. Until tomorrow the motorbikes are kept at Parc Fermé. This means that they cannot be worked on at the moment.

Jean Brucy has arrived at Bamako as well. Do to a sandstorm they have had problems with electricity at yesterday’s bivouac. There was no possibility to x-ray Brucy at the doctor’s tent. This morning they were able to do so at the hospital in Bamako. During the next few hours the doctors will decide if the Frenchman has to go straight home to Paris or if he can fly to Dakar to experience the end of the Rally with his team-mates.

(Jan 9, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 9th
A catch up ride, an emergency signal and political problems
(Scot Harden breaks his ankle and is out, Roeseler picks it up to 12th on the day, Krause 25th)
(TV reports Harden broke his leg, KTM says it's an ankle. Either way, he was in serious pain when he was brought in. KTM reports he has made it to a hospital, though they are not yet sure where said hospital is)
(Next 2 stages are canceled as security of the events passage can't be guaranteed. Motorcyclists will be flown to the rest stop area planned for next Sunday. Hopefully all will get much needed rest and Harden will get excellent treatment and pain relief - MN)
Did today decide the outcome of the rally? Most likely it did so because once again the political situation mixes with the sporty decision. You’ll read about it later on. Two men took advantage of the longest special (736 km) in this year’s Dakar and gained time on the leaders: Cyril Despres and Alfie Cox. After finishing the first part of the marathon-stage, both of them had arrived in a bad mood at the bivouac in Tidjikja yesterday. Today they were going for it. Cyril Despres knew that he had to make up leeway on this long and difficult stage if he wanted to keep a minimal chance for the leadership in the overall standings. And today he has managed to do so. Despres claims the victory on this burdensome course. "It was definitely a great day for me. I had already passed many of the riders in front of me at CP 1 (km 236). The sand was fast and I quickly caught up with Nani and the others." Despres, Roma, Cox, Meoni and Sainct rode in a "convoy" for several hundreds of kilometers through the desert. Something else made Despres happy as well. "I was able to cope with my problems today. After 550 kilometers I ran into some difficulties with my electric. Luckily I was able to repair it. And at kilometer 600 it got difficult to navigate. But else than yesterday I stayed calm and found the right track."

Alfie Cox, too, was riding at a good pace and finished in 2nd place. He was even able to diminish his time gap on Roma who had lost more than 26 minutes in the overalls. However, the Spaniard was able to defend his leadership by a few minutes. He lies 3’33 minutes ahead of Richard Sainct (2nd) and about 28 minutes ahead of Alvie Cox (3rd). So far nothing is decided yet.

However, politics could possibly have called for a preliminary decision. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow’s stage have been cancelled by the officials due to "political difficulties". French and Mali’s authorities have asked the A.S.O. to avoid racing in the north of Mali. There have not been given any more detailed explanations to the teams during briefing.

Now it means that about 800 kilometers are taken out of the valuation. With that an extremely difficult navigation towards Mopti has been canceled. According to the officials the "toughest stage" to Bobo Diouiasso on Sunday will also not happen. Richard Sainct is pretty mad about it, "This is a bad decision for me. The stages will be missing for my results. I cannot make up time because during these two days and I would have had chances to do so."

Tomorrow the motor bikes are being loaded on trucks and the riders will fly to Bamako, Mali’s capitol. On Sunday they will go on to Bobo Dioulasso where they can enjoy the rest day on Monday. On Tuesday they will start as planned on the 12th stage from Dioulasso to Bamako.

Winfried Kerschhaggl, KTM’s head of marketing, imagines that there is at least one further reason for the cancellation of the stages. "After three difficult successive stages the harshness of the rally has become obvious today. We are talking about strains that brought the riders to their limits. Most of the private riders overextended themselves. The official’s decision to neutralize the next two days is only right. It will keep up the standards of the race."

This harshness, Winfried Kerschhaggl, was talking about could also be seen among the KTM teams. At first Scot Harden crashed and broke the ankle of his left foot. A while later, Jean Brucy dropped out of the race. "The crash wasn’t that bad at all. I simply fell in a stupid way." Brucy broke his right collarbone.

Richard Sainct seemed bewildered, "Jean was performing so great this year. He did have a chance to claim his place on the podium. It is unbelievably tragic. I feel sorry and I mean it as a friend. Of course I will miss Jean also as a rider. He has always helped me when I had technical problems."

Fabrizio Meoni did have to battle with technical problems today. The brackets for his instruments broke about 150 km before the finish. "The vibrations were simply too much. I could not look into my road book any longer. First I tried to repair the bracket, but it wouldn’t work. Afterwards I had problems with the fast orientation." The Italian lost almost one hour to today’s winner Despres.
Stage Results
01. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France)
02. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 3´24
03. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 21´39
04. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 23´24
07. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 26´22
08. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 30´48
09. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 40´25
11. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 59´53
12. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1h 00´51
25. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 2h 47´55
Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 3´33
03. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 28´21
04. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 44´54
07. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 2 h 17´40
09. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 2 h 22´27
11. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 2 h 42´36
16. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +4 h 14´50
22. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 5 h 35´20
28. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +10 h 28´07

(Jan 8, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 8th stage Atar – Tidjikja
New-age treachery mixes up the field of competitors
(USA Team Manager & US KTM Marketing Executive Rips up stage 8!)
(Harden finishes an amazing 6th on the day and stands in 8th overall. Larry Roeseler finishes in 25th and resides in 24th overall. Paul Krause finishes in 20th on the day and stands in the same position overall. Go USA, all 3 of you!)
GPS means navigating with the help of dozens of satellites in space. GPS points help the drivers to orientate and find their way through the desert. Some experts claim that GPS is a good means for the race. However, it does not substitute for looking into the road book or even at the landscape. That is what today’s stage was vehemently trying to tells us.

"Fxxxxg day," exclaims Alfie Cox in the paddocks. He was mad about himself. "I followed Fabrizio and that turned out to be a huge mistake." Because Meoni rode in a wrong direction, just as Cyril Despres and several of the other riders. The crucial point was the first GPS point. It was given to the competitors by the officials of the rally. It was meant to help orientating and was about 120 kilometers behind the start. The riders crossed a Wadi after 40 km. The ones riding directly towards the GPS point missed the right exit to leave the dryed-up river bed. The ones looking into their road books and taking in their surroundings had it easier to find the right way. Surly, A.S.O. must allow to be questioned about such a misleading GPS point. But the stage is definitely over.

Today’s winner Nani Roma happily explained tonight, "It was good that I checked into my road book. I looked around and calmly tried to navigate." For the longest time, he could take advantage of Richard Sainct’s knowledge. Roma overtook him shortly beyond the start. With the Frenchman and his fellow countryman Jean Brucy they rode on together. Richard Sainct, too, had his problems today, "Navigation was extremely difficult. I turned around twice on a track because I wasn’t sure that I had found the right route." A sandstorm made orientation even more difficult. "I constantly had dust in my eyes," tells Sainct. His summary about the day: "The stage was shorter than yesterday, but it was definitely tougher, too. But I did okay. If navigating stays at this level I assume I have a good chance in the race."

Nani Roma claims the leadership in the overalls again. He leads ahead of Sainct just before Jean Brucy, who was able to clinch a 2nd place today. Modestly he answers, "It was not that difficult for me today. I just followed Richard."

Dakar-beginner Scott Harden rode a remarkable race today. Trusting his good old compass helped him to rank among the top riders. "I arrived in 6th position and was simply surprised about such a good placement. When I wasn’t sure about the way I took out my compass and road book. I trusted them more than my GPS. That’s what helped me to get through fine."

The last two stages thoroughly mixed up the field of riders twice. Tomorrow this could happen for a third time. Stage 9, the second part of a marathon-stage, is the second longest special in this years Dakar rally. It is 739 km long. The A.S.O. also claims it to be the toughest stage. What do the riders await? The legendary route drives past Tichit, the famous elephant rock. It also crosses the Enji-pass which had stopped almost all competitors due to a sandstorm in 1985. We will wait in suspense what this special offers the riders and their fans at home tomorrow.
Results:
Stage Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 6´02
03. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 7´58
04. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 24´51
05. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 25´50
06. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 31´32
08. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 37´31
19. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 49´21
20. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 51´59
24. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 1h´14´19
25. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1h´28´46
29. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 1 h 46´40
Overall Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 8´16
03. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 14´25
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 51´19
07. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 1 h 11´16
09. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1 h 51´27
11. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-Overall Results
12. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 2 h 09´05
13. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 2 h 13´14
20. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 3 h 13´47
24. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +3 h 40´21
40. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain) +10 h 31´05

(Jan 7, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 7th stage Tan Tan – Atar
A French triumph after pacing across the vast number of dunes
(Harden continues strong, all 3 US KTM riders make it through an impossible day)
We want to offer our respect for anyone who has reached the finish at Atar or is still to reach it throughout the night. On a day like this everyone is a hero. The stage was extremely tough on the riders and tortured them beyond thought. And it was a stage that would ask its due. Fabrizio Meoni probably lost his chances for the title after a serious tire problem had stopped him. Isidre Esteve severely damaged his bike after a crash. Richard Sainct finished the stage with some painful backache. Jean Brucy fell as well… At the finish Alfie Cox mentioned tonight, “I suspect that half of the drivers will drop out today. This stage was extremely tough” And crossing the 150-km-wide field of dunes in darkness is almost impossible.”

The Erg Oumaghawaba, already known for the trouble it causes, has decided about the outcome of the stage. Its rim of the dunes are not really all that large, only about 10 to 30 meters, but they are facing in a direction that hides whatever looms behind them to the riders. The dunes are built like combs in the landscape. Therefore, one won’t find regular crossings or times to rest. Instead the drivers have to strain and concentrate without end on the 150 km run. The field lay at the end of the already long stage.

Of all people the hurting Richard Sainct mastered the difficulties best. “I’m back,” gladly exclaims the triple-champion of the Dakar rally. “The days after my injury I rode above my limits, only to keep up with the others. Now I’m motivated for the rest of the Dakar rally. I hope I won’t have to pay the price for today’s stage sometime later along the race. At the moment a terrible backache is bothering me.”

Ralf Pariasek, physiotherapist, faces a lot of work. Every one of the riders turned to him looking for help after reaching the bivouac. Jean Brucy, second today, came to him as well, “It is especially my fingers and legs that hurt. This long stage was brutally tough. I’ve crossed this stage four times already. And I get the feeling that it gets tougher each time. Today I followed Cyril for a while. But he was too fast for me. And I fell as well. My handlebars were bent and I got bruised as well. At first I thought a vertebra was broken. Luckily I could go on.”

Cyril Despres managed a 3rd position in today’s standings. He rode at a fast but balanced pace. With that he now leads the overalls. “I could have been 5 to 10 minutes faster. Unfortunately, I have lost the right track about 130 km along the way and needed some time to get back on it again. Too bad. Now I’m just glad to be here at the bivouac. To get some rest is the only thing important today.

That Fabrizio Meoni gets some sleep soon can surely be doubted. The Italian lost about two hours after some serious tire problems. At the bivouac one could tell that he was mad and silent. “Not a pleasant day for me,” was all he wanted to tell. Alfie Cox told us that he wanted to help out with a tube for his tire at kilometer 600, but it was also broken. He had probably grazed during the long ride. It had been lying at the cockpit. Finally, the French private rider, David Casteu, helped out. Unfortunately, his tube was punctured about 80 km in front of the finish. It just wasn’t a pleasant day.

Isidre Esteve had a bad one as well. Due to a crash he lost his navigation system. Apparently however, his Rally 660 had suffered worse damage then it was assumed at first. He had to stop his run about 50 kilometers away from the finish line. At the moment the fast mechanics from the KTM assistance truck take a look at his motorbike. They feverishly try to get it working again. We hope Isidre soon reaches the finish.

This 7th stage mixed up the overalls thoroughly. Now Cyril Despres leads ahead of Nani Roma and Richard Sainct.

Tomorrow won’t be a day for relaxation. The stage from Atar towards Tidjikja leads the rally crews through sections where they have never been before. Competitors familiar with navigating will have it easier to find the hidden passes and favorable entrances into the field of dunes. The 8th special is 355 km long.
Stage Results
01. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France)
02. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 7´07
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 8´33
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 09´00
05. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 12´19
08. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufactured rider) + 25´29
11. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 34´44
18. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 55´28
19. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1´05´15
26. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1´17´57
34. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 1´52´56
Overall Results
01. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France)
02. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 3´03
03. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 3´21
04. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 5´01
05. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 11´26
08. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufactured rider) + 24´47
14. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1 h 22´58
16. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 1 h 38´46
18. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 1 h 46´18
22. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +2 h 14´38
24. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 2 h 24´51

(Jan 6, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 6th stage Quarzazate – Tan Tan
The Spanish team dominated again and Sala dropped out
(Scot Harden shows his stuff again, finishing the top American again in 12th place, 13th overall)
(Larry Roeseler continues to slip, down to 33rd overall. Paul Krause now sits in 22nd)
The Spaniards have obviously found the perfect terrain in Morocco. Again they were able to claim a double-victory only swapped places. Nani Roma won ahead of Isidre Esteve. The second guy stomped through the bivouac making a grim face. It wasn’t because Nani had overtaken him today, but because a technical problem has caused him the leadership. “At first everything was working very well. I took special care of my tires because the track was littered with rocks. After 100 kilometers my trip master stopped working and 80 kilometers further my substitution trip master was gone as well. From than on I could only use my GPS to navigate. I waited for Nani after CP 2 (kilometer 206). Yes, I was really ticked off. I did not make any mistake and still I couldn’t win.”

Nani Roma understood his team-mate’s feelings. Nevertheless, he is happy about his triumph. “Winning the stage made my pretty happy. I attuned to a good rhythm for the difficult track. I just hope it stays like that.”

Fabrizio Meoni coolly states about the outcome of the stage. “The Spaniards practiced in Morocco. They know the surroundings like the back of their heads.” Asked about his own performance (position 9) today, he answered: “It isn’t doing any good to look at the overalls just yet. I ride my own race and I’m glad if I bring myself and the two-cylinder bike safely across the finish line. At the first stages my motorbike could not perform all that well. Tomorrow I should be able to ride at full speed.”

Although Cyril Despres (position 4) rides on a KTM 660 Rally he basically expresses the same when he answers: “I ride at 96 %. My stages are yet to come.” With that the young Frenchman shows what the previous years have taught him: to be patient. Earlier the hothead has had his problems with that.

Even a rally-fox like Alfie Cox had to pull out all the stops and optimize his riding style. Today is his 41st birthday (Congratulations!). “The track moved up and down and it felt like a trampoline. Also there were unbelievably many jumps today. I’ve ridden the track three times already, but never before had it been that dusty and rocky.” Alfie arrived in 6th today and just wanted to forget the race. The breakdown of Giovanni Sala was way more painful for him. “I feel sad for Gio. I hope he will soon be okay again. It is even harder for me now. For Meoni and I Gio was to be of great help if anything did happened to us on the way. We will also miss the team results now.”

Giovanni Sala badly crashed at kilometer 117. As a result he as broken two of his ribs and suffers a severe thoractic trauma. The nice Italian did not like to talk a whole lot when returning from the doctors. Every word was hurting him badly, “I jumped across a bump when I suddenly saw the big rock on the ground. I missed it with my front wheel, but must directly have hit it with the rear one. Then I crashed and unfortunately now everything is over.”
The KTM-Team wishes him to get well soon. We hope to see you next year at the Dakar rally!

In spite of the injury on his forearm, Richard Sainct bravely fought his way through the race. The up and down of the track did demand the last of him. Added to his actually way higher demands (today place 8) and the hurting muscles, something else hurts as well: He was beat by 14 minutes in the overalls. At the moment however, he can do but one thing: To grit his teeth and go for it. Gilles Salvador, manager of the Team Gauloises KTM France explains, “Richard has had pains in his arm from the beginning of the stage when his muscles were still cold. It got better later on. I don’t need to worry about tomorrow. Richard is a tough fighter.”

The team manager of the American Red Bull Team seemed relaxed at the last finish in Morocco. “We are rookies!” commented Scott Harden. For a “beginner” their performance was fabulous. Harden, who has gained his place among the team because a “replacement” for the injured Casey McCoy was needed, is in the overalls in 13th place. His team-mate Paul Krause is in 25th and Larry Roeseler in 26th position.

With his stage win Nani Roma gained two places in the overall standings. He is now second behind Isidre Esteve with a 1’54 minute leeway. On the 3rd place Cyril Despres (+2’37) is laying in wait.

For the competitors it is time to get their road books ready for the 7th stage. The sooner they get done the faster they get to snuggle into their sleeping bags. Tomorrow a 1055 km stage, the longest one in this year’s Dakar, awaits the drivers. Surely the riders will then be spread apart. A little past midnight the drivers will be on their way to Atar. “Liaisons like this one are always problematic,” exclaims Nani Roma. “You are tired and you need to ride in darkness.” After sunrise the riders start on the special in the north of Mauritania. It is 701 kilometers long. Years ago the route from Tan Tan to Atar had to be crossed within two days. Tomorrow the drivers will have to manage this torture in only one day. And it will surely sort the wheat from the chaff. A crucial day is coming up.
Stage Results
01. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Isidre Esteve Pujol (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 0´16
04. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 4´03
05. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 4´31
06. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 4´38
07. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 4´52
08. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 6´00
09. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 6´21
12. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 17´13
22. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 29´16
33. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 47´12
52. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 1 h 03´28
Overall Results
01. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 1´54
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 2´37
04. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 4´32
05. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 7´11
07. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM-manufacturer rider) + 10´28
08. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 14´31
10. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 15´29
13. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 38´40
23. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 1 h 15´12
25. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 1 h 18´04
26. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) +1 h 20´33
 

---

(Jan 5, 2004) (From KTM Press Release)
Dakar 2004: 5th stage Er Rachidia – Quarzazate
Spanish double-victory at Morroco’s heart
(Scot Harden shows his stuff finishing 16th on the day and moving up to 15th overall)
(Larry Roeseler finishes 25th taking him down to 23rd overall, Paul Krause is 28th)
“A heavy burden fell off me today. I’m more than happy.” Jordi Arcarons, manager of the Spanish Repsol KTM Team, had a smile on his face when he walked around the bivouac in Quarzazate. Two men from his team decided the 5th stage among themselves. Isidre Esteve clinches the victory ahead of Nani Roma. “It was a top performance from the whole team,” states Arcarons. “I explicitly include Marc Coma’s performance in that as well. At the beginning of the stage he has “waited” for Nani and has helped him to work his way up to the front.” At the end of the 337 kilometers special Esteve beat Roma by only 16 seconds.

Today’s winner enjoyed his triumph. “Overall the course was fantastic. It had lots of sand, but also lots of rocks. And it was difficult to pass. For the longest time I was stuck behind Alfie. Only when he navigated wrongly was I able to go for it and race further on my own. What I like even better – tomorrow I get to start from the pole position. Then I won’t need to pass anyone. I’m equally proud to be leading the overalls.” Isidre Esteve respectfully says about the performance of his team: “Nani has done a great job at the race. It will be a thrilling competition tomorrow.”

Roma seems to think alike: “Tomorrow Isidre will again start 2 minutes before I do. That’s the new regulation and I like it. Actually, I would prefer 3 minutes. I don’t have any problems navigating and I perform better in the sand than I used to. Today it was difficult to overtake, but if I had to I always tried it in a sandy section.”

A few more words about this new regulation at the Dakar. Up until last year the first ten competitors started one minute apart from one another. This year this has changed to two minutes. When they start now they usually can’t see the cloud of dust and the track of their predecessors any longer. Now it becomes more important to navigate and find the right track.

The American KTM-riders have managed these tasks very well during these first two African stages. Larry Roeseler (25th today), “I’m satisfied. On these tracks I feel like being at home in the States.”

Richard Sainct, too was content with his 8th position. “I’m glad that I did not feel the ache in my arms. The wound still leaks a little, but the doctors did a good job. I did not feel the handicap.” We’ll keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way.

With his stage-win Isidre Esteve widened his time gap in the overalls. He beat Fabrizio Meoni (in 3rd today) by 36 seconds and Cyril Despres (in 4th today) by 59 seconds. Nani Roma jumped up the order best. Starting in 13th position he arrived in 4th.

Andy Caldecott was the best of the private riders. He clinches a 7th place in the overalls. The Australian finished the stage in 5th spot. “At one time I navigated wrongly. Now I’m totally surprised that I finished at the top end of the standings.” What a great performance. That why we chose to portray Andy Caldecott today:

Silent Heroes
The 39-year-old Australian has traveled around half of the globe to have his dream come true: The participation at the legendary Dakar rally. “With my small transportation business as only source for financial support this could not have happened,” states the sympathetically man with the ponytail. “Luckily the Australian KTM has helped me to have my dream come true.” For further assistance Andy Caldecott has asked the KTM Support Team to perform. They help with some advice, some repair –if asked even around the clock. “Especially for the logistical support I need to thank KTM very, very much,” says the Australian. “I don’t need to look after anything at all. I can just ride. And hopefully I get to do so until Dakar.”

Tomorrows 6th stage is a tough piece of work for the drivers. It leads towards the Atlantic coast to Tan Tan. The special is 351 km long while the whole stage is 800 km altogether. It is a track that will not forget easily the mistakes the riders made. The stage includes high-speed and mountains in the first part which change into a rock invested track in the second part. First priority is to concentrate highly in order to avoid any dangerous crashes.

Stage Results
01. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 0´16
03. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 0´22
04. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 0´42
06. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 4´26
07. Giovanni Sala (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 4´34
08. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 5´14
09. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM manufacturer rider) + 5´38
11. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 10´27
14. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 12´24
16. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 17´37
25. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 31´52
28. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 42´08
Overall Results
01. Isidre Esteve (Team Repsol KTM Spain)
02. Fabrizio Meoni (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 0´36
03. Cyril Despres (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 0´59
04. Nani Roma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 4´19
05. Alfie Cox (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 4´58
06. Giovanni Sala (Team Gauloises KTM International) + 6´43
08. Carlo de Gavardo (KTM manufacturer rider) + 8´22
09. Richard Sainct (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 10´46
11. Jean Brucy (Team Gauloises KTM France) + 13´02
12. Marc Coma (Team Repsol KTM Spain) + 14´09
15. Scott Harden (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 23´52
23. Larry Roeseler (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 35´46
28. Paul Krause (Team Red Bull KTM USA) + 51´13

---

(1-4-04) Larry Roeseler gets 10th again, other KTM riders move way up in finishing order in 4th stage. LR finishes 10th again in his first Dakar event showing he certainly has the speed. This may change when the larger twin-cylinder bikes hit the fast open desert where the easier to ride 660 single can't match the incredible top speeds of the twins. Scot Harden, KTM's USA press director, team manager and experienced (long ago) rally rider moved all the way up to a 15th place finish in stage 4. Paul Krause, on the twin, moved up to a 22nd place finish. All-in-all, a great day for the USA teams finishes. MN

---

(1-3-04) Larry Roeseler doing well in 2004 Dakar after 3rd stage!
1-3-04 > USA KTM team now led by LR who finished 44, 20, & 10th to stand in 18th place. In Dakar you must learn as you go & LR appears to be adapting fast on the 660 single! We wish him success, as well as the rest of the USA KTM team of Scot Harden & Paul Krause. Yamaha's two-wheel-drive 450 single was impressive to watch in the mud - it won the stage. I guess there is a lot to say about a front wheel pulling you through the mud. MN

Copyright© 2004 by Motorsports Network. All Rights Reserved.