Stage 10: Nema to Nema

Daily Updates From David on Patricia's Progress in the Dakar Rally

Photo: Special Stage 9 : More sand.... and Patricia, of course.
It looks like the same dune I sent a photo of yesterday - is that photographer cheating on us?

FROM DAVID: January 16 2007

(connection 0km, special 360km, connection 0km, total 360km)

Update on yesterday - a shorter day, only 360 km. Patricia was safely back at camp by 5 p.m. The main challenge yesterday was to avoid getting run over by cars and trucks - as the route was along a track with high sides, so there was no-where to go when they came up behind you. Several bikers were nudged out of the way in a less than subtle way.

Patricia is referring to the Camp doctor as a Magician - her wrists were much better yesterday.

Unfortunately, the fall that Werner took a few days ago, and which was not aassisted by horse painkillers, turned out to be a broken shoulder when X-rayed yesterday - he is now out of the race, travelling to Dakar in the back of a truck. This event is addictive, so I wonder if he will be back for more next year...

The severity of the challenge on the machines and people is indicated by the RallyRaid team survival statistics: of 10 bikes that left Lisbon, 4 remain in the rally. Of 6 cars that started, 2 remain. The truck is still hanging on in there.

Today (Wed) there is no special section - simply a few hundred kilometers of road link to the next camp. The chance for a later start, a more civilised ride and an early arrival at camp, to refuel ready for the final few days.