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#1
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![]() http://www.redbull.com/en/motorsport...st-dakar-rally
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
#2
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![]() Would have been even more cool had it actually been held between Dakar and Paris like before, but thanks to al qaeda and the tuareg thugs all that changed.
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#3
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![]() Tuareg are not thugs, some are perhaps but there are also those who are united in the fight against foreign fueled Islamist extremism in their areas.
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
#4
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![]() Tuaregs are not thugs, I have Tuareg friends, but the ones who ruined the dakar rally were tuareg thugs. Part of a band of Tuareg pirates who have been stealing trucks and goods from the Dakar Rally several times. Disrupted the rally so many times. I know because I was right in that area having to handle the consequences of that, so Its bloody personal what happened.
These Tuaregs were not al qaeda or islamists, they are simply bandits who have been attacking foreigners time and again to steal their goods. They just happened to choose the wrong moment while al qaeda was kidnapping and killing French people in Mauritania to also steal, that was too much and the whole rally was cancelled and money going to africa was now withdrawn because of it, as the rally had brought alot of money to the place. |
#5
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![]() ![]() MSN Cars joined the 2014 Dakar Rally and shadowed the Race2Recovery team - a squad of injured ex-servicemen who've banded together to take on the monstrous challenge of the world's toughest motor race. The team included amputees and veterans from Afghanistan, all desperate to make the finish line two countries, a fortnight and 5,000 miles later. This is the story of how they got on. The startline podium for the 2014 Dakar Rally was in Rosario, Argentina. Race2Recovery entered two Wildcat rally cars and a supporting race truck, known in Dakar parlance as a T4. This podium is really all about satiating egos – everyone gets introduced to the huge crowds and everyone gets to do their best ‘rally driver walk’. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=1
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
#6
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![]() ![]() Race2Recovery is made up of seriously injured servicemen and volunteers. Each of the rally cars and the truck contained either an amputee driver or co-driver. The team manager, Andrew ‘Pav’ Taylor, had also been seriously injured, by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. This was the team’s second crack at the Dakar – last year co-driver Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie became the first amputee ever to finish the event when he partnered Major Matt O’Hare in a Wildcat. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=2 ![]() The Wildcat is based (loosely) on a Land Rover Defender. There’s a tubular steel chassis, high- and low-ratio gearboxes and a 4.2-litre Jaguar V8 in the nose. They’re designed to cope with thousands of miles of physical abuse in some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain. A normal rally car would barely last a day. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=3 ![]() Race2Recovery bought their T4 rally truck off the French Dakar team, Boucou. It weighs 14 tonnes and is based on a Renault Kerax quarry truck. It still has electric windows and a plastic steering wheel in a near-horizontal position like a London bus. Although the truck enters the rally in its own right and does the same route as the cars, its primary purpose is to support the two rally cars. Parts and equipment are stored in the back. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=4 ![]() The rally crews were supported by a dedicated team of mechanics who travelled from bivouac to bivouac along the service route. A huge, eight-wheeler truck was accompanied by two Discovery vehicles provided by the team sponsor, Land Rover. All service vehicles drive over 7,000km in two weeks to complete the Dakar. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=5
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
#7
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![]() ![]() Each day on the Dakar is broken up into road or ‘liaison’ sections and a special stage. The distances are extraordinary and fatigue is one of the biggest challenges facing every crew. The total distance for this year’s rally was 9,209km and the longest special stage for the cars measured 694km. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=6 ![]() Stage two of the rally, from San Luis to San Rafael, was the first significant test and introduced the sand dunes that are a signature feature of the Dakar. Sadly for amputee driver Tony Harris and co-driver Quin Evans, it was to prove their undoing. Harris misjudged a razor-edge dune and rolled his Wildcat end-over-end. The car landed on its wheels and they were able to continue to the stage finish but the mechanics discovered irreparable damage to the rollcage. They would go no further. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=7 ![]() On the same stage, the second Wildcat, which was driven by team director Ben Gott and co-driven by amputee Philip ‘Barney’ Gillespie, was also forced out of the rally. The car had experienced overheating problems on day one and these continued on the second day until the car suffered a broken head gasket. It was assisted by the Race2Recovery truck but had to retire. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=8 ![]() With both of the team’s rally cars out of the Dakar, attention focused on the truck. Instead of needing to support the rally cars it would now be free to run its own race. Inside were a crew of three: driver Mark Cullum is an off-road expert who once finished second in the famous Camel Trophy; co-driver Chris Ratter is an ace mechanic and successful amateur rally driver, and amputee Corporal Daniel ‘Baz’ Whittingham assisted with navigation and controlled the on-board tyre inflation system – a crucial tool for navigating soft sand. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...ally-3#image=9 ![]() Life in the bivouac is hardly glamorous. The top teams and drivers enjoy luxurious motorhomes, but everyone else kips on the floor in pop-up tents surrounded by a cacophony of generators and power tools. After a while, these tents start to feel like a protective cocoon and it’s amazing where you can sleep when you’re exhausted. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=10 ![]() The Dakar often looks like a scene from the movie Mad Max. There are all sorts of weird creations, from tiny Polaris buggies to the bespoke trucks, which look downright terrifying. http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=11
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
#8
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![]() ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=12 When the truck was on the special stage, the service crew were not allowed to support it. Should anything break, the race crew had to fix it themselves. “The Dakar is as much about problem solving as it is about driving,” says Mark Cullum. On a supersized truck, this was no easy task – replacing a punctured tyre was a huge ask of an exhausted trio. ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=13 There’s no dispensation for amateurs – everyone faces the same stage. While the leading contenders, including former World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz, complete the stage in a handful of hours, the Race2Recovery truck would take all day and most of the night. The mechanics would then set to work in the early hours, while the crew tried to snatch some sleep. ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=14 The rest day in Salta, Argentina, was the first target for every competitor. The organisers were concerned that last year’s Dakar was too easy, so they made this year’s event much tougher. Maybe too tough: by the rest day only 53% of those who started were still in the rally. ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=15 Co-driver ‘Baz’ was working with a bomb disposal team when he was blown up in Afghanistan four years ago. His pelvis was shattered and he lost his left leg below the knee. “There were some tough times, but it’s also brought some opportunities,” he says. “Lying in a hospital bed they told me there was a good chance I’d never walk again, but here I am doing the Dakar.” On the road liaison stages, Baz would often drive the truck, relieving Cullum and Ratter. ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=16 The Dakar rules are less restrictive than the World Rally Championship’s, so the engineers have the freedom to dream up some eccentric creations. Carlos Sainz’s Red Bull buggy was a personal favourite, although it didn’t last the distance. Mini’ locked out the podium overall held seven of the top 10 places, even is ‘Mini’ is a bit of a fib – they’re as big as a BMW X5.
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
#9
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![]() ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=17 This is what yours truly used to cover the Dakar. Our Land Rover Freelander was turned into a mobile media unit with an Inmarsat satellite phone, an on-board charging station, a sophisticated GPS system that allowed us to track to specific co-ordinates and even an Inmarsat BGAN satellite system so we could set up a mobile wi-fi hotspot at a moment’s notice anywhere we went – genius. One little tip though: if you’re following the Dakar invest in some proper all-terrain tyres. South American roads often turn to dirt and standard road tyres puncture all too easily. ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=18 In week two, the Dakar crossed the Andes from Argentina to Chile and the Atacama desert. The remaining competitors now faced some of the world’s biggest sand dunes. “Some of them were as tall as three houses,” said Whittingham, “and the drop-offs were terrifying. Get it wrong by just a few feet and you can be rolling to oblivion. We’d say to each other, ‘Don’t go left, that means plummety plummety death.’” ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=19 Being an amputee on the Dakar brings its own challenges. Before heading out on a stage, Whittingham would meticulously clean his stump and prosthetic limb. “You need to avoid getting an ingrowing hair,” he said, “they can be incredibly painful and you run the risk of infection.” ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=20 By the end of the second week, the crew’s exhaustion was self-evident. The mechanics would lay out campbeds in the paddock and they would collapse onto them, still in their racesuits. Then they’d be woken up with 10 minutes to go and poured back into the cab. “You have to call on all your reserves,” reckoned Ratter. “Everyone has these reserves but you never normally get to access them.” ![]() http://autos.in.msn.com/gallery/insi...lly-3#image=21 After a truly herculean effort, the truck crossed the finish line near Valparaíso, Argentina, having completed 9,207km. “This is the toughest driving challenge I’ve ever done,” said Cullum at the finish, while Ratter reckoned it was, “the hardest thing I’ve ever taken on.” Whittingham becomes the first amputee trucker ever to finish the Dakar. “It’s an amazing feeling,” he said. “I was told I’d never walk again and now I’ve finished the Dakar.”
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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India -Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist |
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