BIKES News from stage 12 - updated 17.01.2013: Dakar 2013 - Argentina/Chile stage 12 1st start (GMT-3) : 10:00 AM

Dakar 2013 - Argentina/Chile
stage 12  1st start (GMT-3) : 10:00 AM

15:10 - bike
The gaps are closing in the bike category

At the end of the day, Cyril Despres has kept the initiative in the general standings with a lead of 5'39" over his team-mate Ruben Faria. Francisco Lopez has come back to within 13'40" of KTM rider No. 1 and Ivan Jakes, in fourth, trails the leader by 20'16".


The leading Husqvarna rider, Alesandro Botturi - twentieth to finish today - lies 34'52" behind the Frenchman, whilst Juan Pedrero Garcia has a deficit of 41'14" on Despres.


Olivier Pain, the first rider after the gap increases to over an hour, occupies seventh place, ahead of today's special stage winner, Dutchman Frans Verhoeven, 1:05'22" behind the leader.




12:48 - bike
Hélder and Kuba in the top 6

The order remains unchanged for the top 4, but however, Hélder Rodrigues, 3'35" off the lead, has landed fifth place for Honda (making it 5 different constructors in the first five places!).

Kuba Przygonsky finishes in sixth, 4'07" behind the stage leader.



- bike
015 - Verhoeven wins the special

Frans Verhoeven has won the special, beating Ruben Faria by 1'38" and Joan Barreda by 3'01". Alain Duclos picks up a noteworthy fourth place, 3'17" behind the Dutchman. Four different constructors occupy the first four places: Yamaha, KTM, Huskvarna and Sherco.

Fifth place has been taken by "Chaleco", 4'47" off the lead. Cyril Despres loses 9'15" to the day's winner and5 minutes to Faria and Chaleco in the general standings.

11:58 - bike
Faria leads Przygonski and Duclos after 276 km!

The Portuguese rider is still in the lead and Frenchman Alain Duclos is speeding along on his Sherco since he now lies in third place behind Przygonski, 1'52" behind the stage leader and 11 seconds behind the Polish rider.


Behind them, Joan Barreda and Francisco Lopez are respectively 2'16" and 3'36" off the lead. The position of Frans Verhoeven is still unknown, but should be available in a few minutes.



11:39 - bike
018 - Przygonski gains ground

Polish rider Kuba Przygonski is slowly starting to catch the race leaders, from 15th to 12th and then to 6th according to the last time check after 238 km, 1'27" behind leader Ruben Faria.



11:07 - bike
011 - Faria hits the front after 222 km

Ruben Faria is now in front, leading Francisco Lopez by 9", Frans Verhoeven by 23" and Juan Pedrero Garcia by 5'13". Alain Duclos is in fifth, 2'33" behind the stage leader and 17" ahead of Ivan Jakes. Following his navigation problems, Joan Barreda is in eighth place.




0:41 - bike
005 - Barreda loses his way a little

After 201 km, the Spanish rider headed a bit too far north and had to turn round. He was in the lead but may be in the process of losing his position to Francisco Lopez.




10:16 - bike
005 - Barreda full on after 169 km

At CP2 after 169 km, there is a refuelling point for the bikers. In the literal and metaphorical sense, Joan Barreda is therefore full on... He leads the special by 2'42" over "Chaleco" Lopez, and is distancing his pursuers as the stage goes on.


In third, 4'36" behind, Juan Pedrero Garcia is less comfortable, with Ruben Faria in his wake (4'44” behind the leader). Ivan Jakes is fifth and Cyril Despres is sixth, respectively 5'58" and 6'25" behind the stage leader.



10:10 - bike
017 - Botturi back on track

Alessandro Botturi is now heading in the right direction, but he made a 7-km detour that will probably lose him several minutes.



10:08 - bike
035 - Berglund stuck in the sand?

Sweden's Husaberg rider No. 35 has stopped after 118 km in the middle of a sandy zone. It seems like he may have got stuck in the sand and should free himself in the coming minutes.


10:06 - bike
017 - Botturi goes west too early

The Italian is heading west after 155 km of the special, a little too early according to the indications in the road-book. He is moving away from the special stage route, but is also making tracks that could lead the riders behind him astray.



09:49 - bike
005 - Barreda gains more seconds after 140 km

Just before the half-way point, Joan Barreda leads the bikers, having taken advantage of a starting position slightly down the order. He boasts a lead of 2'28" over Francisco Lopez, 3'47" over Juan Pedrero Garcia and 5'25" over Cyril Despres. At present, Kurt Caselli has lost 9'19" to the stage leader, having opened the road on the first portions of the special. He has been caught by the stage leaders and they are now riding together.

09:33 - bike
Faria and Pain stick their oars in

Portugal's Ruben Faria has slipped into fourth place in the provisional positions on the special, 1'34" behind the leader. Olivier Pain lies in sixth place, 2'15" behind Barreda. Ivan Jakes (2'21” behind the stage leader) and Alessandro Botturi (2'23" behind the stage leader) occupy 7th and 8th place respectively.



09:17 - bike
005 - Still Barreda after 91 km

The Spaniard's lead has swollen to 1'17" over Francisco Lopez. Juan Pedrero Garcia is only 1'26" behind Barreda, whilst Cyril Despres trails the Spanish rider by 1'46".


Portugal's Paulo Gonçalves is in fourth and American Kurt Caselli is in fifth, respectively 4'13" and 4'23" behind the stage leader.



09:13 - bike
131 - Strange delayed

At the limit between the sandy portion and mixed earthen/sandy terrain, after 37 km, Australian Warren Strange ground to a halt for several minutes, before setting off again.



09:10 - bike
033 - Stop and start for Campbell

American Johnny Campbell stopped for several minutes on the special just before the 25-km point, but has just started off again.



08:56 - bike
005 - Barreda leads by a hair's breadth after 37 km

The Husqvarna team's Spanish rider leads a group of riders by a short distance. Following him are Kurt Caselli, 19" behind, Cyril Despres, 27" behind and Juan Pedrero Garcia, 31" behind.


There have not been any major developments so far by this point, at only a tenth of the stage's total distance.




08:13 - bike
Show time!

At 10 AM local time, Kurt Caselli started the day's 319-km special stage, which finishes in the valley of Copiapo. The first time check point is after 40 Km.


04:14 - bike
After thirtieth place in the bike category…

There are riders, in the majority, who are taking part in the colours of KTM, Honda or Yamaha... And then there are the others, whose steeds, less common in the bivouac, attract attention.

In 37th, Portugal's Mario Patrao is one of them. With his Suzuki RMZ 450 Rally, he looks like he will finish the Dakar on his very first participation: the finish is not far now...

This is also what Swedish rider Thomas Berglund must be saying, on his very rare Husaberg. However, he will be frustrated at the finish, since he rubbed shoulders with the top 20 in 2007 and 2010...




04:10 - bike
Behind the leaders in the bike category (cont.)

After twentieth place, the battle is more intense. Frenchman Michael Metge currently holds this much sought after position, but behind him 10 competitors are grouped within an interval of less than an hour. In this commando, the most threatening rivals are Darryl Curtis, Stefan Svitko or Pablo Rodriguez.


Joan Barreda is also part of this group, whose rear is brought up by Americain Kurt Caselli, the winner of yesterday's stage. Alain Duclos, the leading Sherco rider, and Marc Guasch, Gas-Gas team leader, also feature in this group.



04:05 - bike
Behind the leaders…

With race number 40 on his bib, Riaan Van Niekerk is 13th, among the names that have resonated at the forefront of the Dakar over the last few days. He has been discrete, and the secret of his position is his consistency. He is one of the leading names on the South African endurance circuit, but his first Dakar could prove to be exceptional.

The experience of Australian Rodney Faggotter is not much more extensive, but he also features in a very respectable 15th place, ahead of Jeremias Israel Esquerre and Ben Grabham, two men who have shone, to varying degrees, on the Dakar 2013.



03:58 - bike
Caselli starts early...

At 4.15 AM local time, the starting time for the first biker, yesterday's winner Kurt Caselli led out the cortege along the ling stage via Paso San Francisco to return to Chile. 130 bikes have been authorised to start today. After a 392-km link stage, the bikes will tackle a 319-km special finishing in the valley of Copiapo.



15:45
Fiambala-Copiapo: the return to Chile

After a 392-km road section, the competitors on the Dakar 2013 will tackle a 319-km timed section. The rally will cross the Andes Mountains from the east to the west this time, via the Paso San Francisco, before dropping down into the Atacama Desert to taste all the types of difficulties that can be faced in the rally-raid discipline.


For the large portions of dunes located in the middle of the special, the riders and crews must climb these “monuments” and avoid getting stuck in hollows that are just as big. On the tracks, the stage will be no easy task, since the rocks and stones, though scattered, could even bring the quickest competitors to a sudden halt.


The participants who managed to reach Copiapó without making mistakes will have scored precious points in the final battle. Following the neutralisation of their special yesterday, the car and truck crews will probably have to tame their frustration, whilst the bikers, still closely grouped behind Cyril Despres, will have to battle to make the difference.


The leading quad riders are relatively safe in terms of position, even if this stage is likely to count among the more decisive on the rally.




- copyright ASO  also logo
Photos on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS   OFF ROAD and PHOTOS SLIDESHOWS