Dakar '18 -Stage 1- Lima > Pisco

So it begins people!

In Peru, racers are plunged from the outset into the sand, the overriding theme of this five-day stretch of the race. This little starter will simply whet the appetite of the most hardened experts. Everyone else will be well advised to make the most of this stretch to improve the specific reflexes needed to tackle this type of terrain. Finesse will already be required to negotiate a downhill section towards the shoreline of a lake

Liaison > 242 km - Special > 31 km

 

I predict that we see some big gaps in time in the first three days of the event. Someone (Peterhansel?) might have a big lead and just have to protect in once they get to Argentina.

 

Why are they yet again running such a small opening stage? 31 KM, that shouldn't even be considered a race stage...

 

Let's call it a qualify lap..

 

I predict Nasser 1st and Bryce in the top 5.

 

Anybody know what network this will be televised on?

 

Yeah they just do that basically to establish starting order at the front of the pack, and to allow those at the back to get their act together and address any issues before the race gets serious.

 

I guess this is one of the 2017 pugs? it's crazy how they come every year with new cars... must be nice.

 

I think that the interesting part of this story is that Peugeot Sport put Sheikh Khalid Al Quassimi in a 3008 DKR but Nasser has gone on record saying that he wants to drive one but hasn't had the opportunity. I don't know the terms, but if they added to the team, why? He has rally experience but not rally raid experience. And if they rented him the newest version of the car, why? I would think that Nasser would rent one too, he rented a Mini previously from X-Raid and won the rally.

 

Maybe Sheikh just drop a **** ton of cash for it? meanwhile Nasser has more sponsorship from Gazoo Racing?

No idea, im sure Nasser could afford one if he wants to...

 

Agreed. I can't remember a first stage that was significantly long even in the Africa days.

 

The race is starting now, no need for qualifying, turn 'em loose and let them run!!!

I expect to see Nasser in the top 3 to 5, with the Pugs making up the remainder of the top 5... I think Bryce will be in the top 15, but I don't expect him to push too hard in this short stage in the new Mini Buggly. I worry that he may make a simple mistake and have to dig out of the sand in the 2WD and end up in the lower 25-50 range...

What is there to establish, the order is a given from their assigned numbers based on past performance. Turn them loose and let them race. It is just another way that this race has gone soft with WAY more Liaison miles than Race miles by a large margin... When it is planned like this from the start it worries me that we will end up with a boring race. Who cares who the Liaison Champ is??? I want to see them open it up and RACE in the worlds most grueling race, not simply drive in the longest race...

Harry, remember we are in 2018 now and the NEW Pugs are 2018 Dakar Race models, so Ernesto was saying that he is driving one of last year's 2017 model Pugs... Nasser would not want to race a hand me down...

But the fact that Pug chose to stay with Sainz over bringing over Nasser should tell us all something about where they place Nasser as far as a team player and race driver. They feel that Sainz, who will likely wad up the car before the rest day, is a better option than Nasser!!! Personally I agree with Pug and wouldn't have Nasser on my team either...

I think if I were starting a team of drivers for a high level Fantasy Dakar team I would have SPH, Yazeed, Loeb, Roma and Robby Gordon in a fleet of Hummbuggies with further revisions from the previous ones making them lighter and more nimble and powering them with a race version of the 2.8L Duramax diesel engine with Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 bodies!!!! RG, SL and Yazeed can rabbit on the field and if the cars hold together under their abuse then the three of them will battle it out for the win about 1-2 hours ahead of the field while SPH and Roma race along at a fast but safe pace to take the win if the rabbits falter!!!

Who would you guys put on your Fantasy Dakar team??? AND what vehicles would they be driving???

 

Don't discount the small 31km special at the end of day 1 this year. Remember back to 2013, when RG got stuck in dunes during that tiny special? Same special this year as far as I can tell. I was literally standing 15 yards from where he got stuck. It was a bad way to start his Dakar that year. Here is one of the pics I took. I think it was Kellon Walsh co-dawging that year. In the pic KW is trying to get the sand boards under the rear tires, while RG was literally going bat-chit-mad-crazy in the drivers seat. Eventually RG got fans (including yours truely) to push him back off of the dune and he got rolling again even though the local police threatened to shoot us if we touched the car. Seems like he lost something like 10 minutes that first day.

 

I think he lost even more time than that... That year was when they did the time multiplier and he was like 30 mins back or something like that!!!

I'm not saying 31 KMs is not enough to get into trouble... But it is hardly enough RACING compared to a 241 KM liaison!!! By my math there are 272 total KMs in the stage and with only 31 KMs of racing it is barely over 10% of the daily distance... I just hate it that there is such a long liaison for so little actual racing...

 

Chris you sound like one of those guys on social media who has never done an engine swap but complains about seeing another LS swap. They start in a CITY, there will be liaisons. When it started in Paris they didn't have long specials on the first day either, nothing has "gone soft". With all due respect, without having ever been to this event you have no concept of just how long and difficult it truly is.

That is one of the new cars, the 3008. I assumed it was the older 2008 but when I checked the entrants page it shows him driving the same vehicle as Peterhansel and Loeb. Thus my surprise.

 

Yazeed and Robby with the hummers as a dream team is definitely an interesting choice...

My dream team honestly will be the current Peugeot team but replacing Despres for Nasser and Sainz for Rob Mac xD

Also my predictions are for this stage only, I think Nasser will push harder than the pugs winning the stage and Bryce has already a little bit of experience already to handle 35km finishing right after the pugs (but you're right about the new 2WD car).

 

PH Sport got Al Qassimi a new toy. Pay $$$, get new toy, simples.

Al Qassimi and Nasser will never be in the same team - too much going on between them and no lost love. Nasser has a deal for the World Cup+ Dakar, Qassimi does only ADDC, Dubai and Dakar and maybe, very maybe Morocco.

 

First world problems...

 

5% VAT introduced in UAE since 1st January. Kinda sucks to know I'm paying for someone to do Dakar.