RE: 'Best of Peru' Dakar 2018: Time For Tea

RE: 'Best of Peru' Dakar 2018: Time For Tea

Monday 21st May 2018

'Best of Peru' Dakar 2018: Time For Tea?

Forgotten about the Dakar? Here's why you shouldn't



Like sadly so many motorsport events, there's an argument to say that the Dakar just ain't what it used to be. It's no longer in Dakar, for a start, but also cars like the 405 T16, Citroen ZX and Mitsubishi Pajero Evo don't compete any more. The Mini and Peugeot 3008 are incredible racing cars, but it's hard to imagine many spectators really identifying with them.

Here's the video to prove that the Dakar is still absolutely bonkers, and therefore quite brilliant, though. It's a 'Best of Peru' highlights vid from this year's rally, and captures all that is so fantastic about the event: the passion, the danger, the scale and the unerring commitment of those involved. Riders, drivers and mechanics give their all for weeks on end, determined to conquer this most gruelling of events.

Some of the footage in here beggars belief, both for the vastness of the landscapes and how the vehicles (mostly) cope with them. You see as well the camaraderie that exists between competitors when the going gets tough, and also what happens when things take a turn for the worse. Suffice it to say small incidents don't happen on the Dakar, regardless of where it takes place.

There really would appear to be no other challenge quite like it, mentally or physically, on two wheels or four. Take a look at the vid for just some idea of why.

 

[Image: Red Bull]

Author
Discussion

Captain Smerc

Original Poster:

3,015 posts

115 months

Monday 21st May 2018
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Wow ! That's a hard-core test of indurance alright . Much kudos to everyone who's had a go yes

unpc

2,831 posts

212 months

Monday 21st May 2018
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Only 1 comment so far? This has got to be one of the best motorsports events on the planet and nobody gives a st.

CedricN

819 posts

144 months

Monday 21st May 2018
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I have been watching it since I was a kid in the 90s, its always as fun to follow. The malle moto guys are the real heroes imo, really bonkers way of competing. Its not the same as it used to be, gladly you can follow africa eco race for free on YouTube, which is more like the old dakar through africa. A bit stressful days after new years eve though since they run more or less in parallel smile

xcentric

722 posts

218 months

Monday 21st May 2018
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It's an event I'd love to do - not certain what background you have to have in order to compete, however, and the Dakar site is useless for info.

Love watching it each year, and whilst the motocross people are the heroes, doing most of their own spattering too, I think I'd take a car.

(and if anyone knows the route into it, do message me - e.g. http://www.advpulse.com/adv-prepping/wonder-if-you...

Edited by xcentric on Monday 21st May 21:47

ArnageWRC

2,050 posts

158 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
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unpc said:
Only 1 comment so far? This has got to be one of the best motorsports events on the planet and nobody gives a st.
Agree - yet the snoozefest of F1 gets pages of comments....

Saying that, I'm undecided on whether having the whole Dakar event in Peru is a good idea....

unpc

2,831 posts

212 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
quotequote all
xcentric said:
It's an event I'd love to do - not certain what background you have to have in order to compete, however, and the Dakar site is useless for info.

Love watching it each year, and whilst the motocross people are the heroes, doing most of their own spattering too, I think I'd take a car.

(and if anyone knows the route into it, do message me - e.g. http://www.advpulse.com/adv-prepping/wonder-if-you...

Edited by xcentric on Monday 21st May 21:47
Agreed. It's on my bucket list to do someday if I ever can find the funds or the time. Car or buggy for me too. Those bikers are nuts!

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
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Would love to partake on a bike.

What an endurance

supacool1

365 posts

178 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
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Amazing video

Plate spinner

17,649 posts

199 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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Used to watch this on Transworld sport

jeremyh1

1,348 posts

126 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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Plate spinner said:
Used to watch this on Transworld sport
Ha ha I was thinking that I remember when SKy came out and I first watched Eurosport they would have full coverage beamed by that new fanged satellite broadcast from the desert

cptsideways

13,535 posts

251 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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It would be an adventure just to go and watch & follow it round. An awesome event & on my bucket list.

Dog Star

16,079 posts

167 months

Friday 25th May 2018
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I used to be a religious Dakar viewer, but I've sort of fallen away from it after it moved to South America; for some reason it lost a certain something when that happened. I know it's still massively hardcore, but it's not as good as it was watching Ari Vatenen getting water off some bedouins to put in his leaking radiator, or that bloke on the bike who when his back tyre punctured went and bought an old 125 from a villager and laced the wheel onto his hub and finished the stage.

DAF turbotwins blowing past 405Mi 16s on the desert at 120mph.

And my favourite ever bit of filming - helicopter flying around the summit of a sand dune where there's this old bedouin geezer stood watching the cars go past, robes billowing and zooming right in on him. Great photography.

Now it's just Chileans with parasols and beer coolers. Not the same.