AMTRA.com.au

If anyone is interested you can follow James Embro on his adventure to Dakar on this link, it will be updated dailly when the race starts.
James is the fella who owns the Farm that we all ride at here near Atlanta.

http://s97452794.onlinehome.us/

Do you know how much he has spent to be a starter in this years Dakar Stewart?

I dont know off the top of my head. 
It is not a cheap rally to enter. He purchased a new KTM 450 rally bike, a spare motor and has a dutch team  providing the pit support.

 Nomally I'm all over the Dakar but this year it had sliped my mind utill I saw an ad on SBS for it last night and then realised it's only days away, must get upto speed ;)

 I became A Dakar junkie following Andy Caldecott fom 2004-2006 :( :( 

Six Aussie starters on bikes, only one name I've seen before, David Schwarz.

One car from an Australian team.
 
No Aussies in trucks ???

Robby Gordon is having another go in a Hummer, I'd like to see him do a bit better than what he has in the last few years.

Rod F'gg'ter (Can't spell it right as word check blocks it)is an Aussie doing a privateer team. Has been a top runner in the Aus desert races for a number of years. Has cost about $60K of which he managed to raise $50K in support. The rest comes out of his pocket. He is a Yamaha dealer in Aus so guess which bike he is riding. One of his supporters is Force.

For the Berg fans.

Nice looking machines, they are 450's, looks like they have done a few K's already but I think that's a very good thing, test, test, test.

Out of the 188 bikes 10 are Husqvarnas, 5 Bergs.

The SBS coverage of the event starts 5:30 tomorrow on SBS1.
You can find all the video SBS show earlier in the day by looking around on the web on the SBS website

http://www.sbs.com.au/dakar/ (http://www.sbs.com.au/dakar/)
 

Check out this link on the pre-running and course design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT_AUaj-djE&feature=player_embedded

Fag_gottor is the No1 Aussie, 44th after stage 1, 6 min
4 sec behind the leader.

Hows that scenery, I guess the competitors get a chance for a better look with the videos. Love those high speed drifts. Go KTM.

James Embro was forced to withdraw with injuries. He was hit in the face with a rock, from a truck that overtook him on a transfer section.. Smashed bones on his face.. He wanted to continue but the next morning he couldnt get his helmet on because of the swelling on his head..  He is now back in Atlanta resting.

What a bummer being taken out on a transfer section. Those trucks would be capable of throwing some big mutha rocks.

How was that Goop the riders got themselves into, unbebloodylievable!!

Still some grouse scenery over there. How about organising a tour Tim?

There was some footage of him at the next control, he didn't look good. That's the Dakar though, very hard to finish.

That new BMW motor in the Husky looks to be a good thing, one is top five in the bikes. Six Huskys out of the ten that started are still in it.

Will you do the navigation Ken?

Sorry Tim - Helen doesn't want to go.