Stage 4: Er Rachidia - Ouarzazate

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

No Official Photograph of Patricia today

FROM DAVID: Tuesday January 09 2007
(connection 96 km, special 405 km, connection 178 km, total 679 km)

Today's fourth stage of the Dakar was tainted by the death of South African rider Elmer Symons, in an accident after 142 km of the special stage.

Patricia reported in safely this evening and has completed today's Stage. It was a very long Special stage (8hrs 14mins), but she seems to be consolidating her position, coming in 134th on today's stage - her best stage position yet. Good navigation, rather than inappropriate speed, are helping her results.

The tracking system on the web today, caused a few minor traumas for observers, as Patricia appeared to stop for 4 hours in the middle of the Special. Werner also showed as stopping nearby and we did wonder if one of them had an accident or a serious technical breakdown. It was neither - just the tracking system became frozen!

Patricia has had a technical problem today - as the fittings connecting her headlamps to her faring broke, causing the faring to flap around. Werner stopped to assist her in the desert. Good team-work. She got to camp and when I spoke to her, she was asking someone to do some welding for her ! Remember, there are no mechanics in camp tonight, so the riders are having to do their own repairs and help each other.

It is cold in camp tonight, apparently even colder than last night, so Patricia has "borrowed" four blankets !! She seemed rather pleased with these acquisitions...

Looking ahead to Wednesday (stage 5) : Ouarzazate > Tan Tan, Connection: 164 km | Special: 325 km | Connection: 289 km Total: 768 km. Dakar regulars will have rallied from Ouarzazate to Tan Tan on three occasions in the recent past. Yet despite this, they’ll never have taken the 2007 route on a long-distance trek before. On this special, the drivers are going to be getting a taste of the Atlas Mountains, a feast for the eyes that means the trucks will have to take a slightly different route, a few kilometres shorter. On average, the scenery is dramatic, lunar: for the connoisseurs.