annullata la Dakar 2008

[MeneS]

Va anche detto che la Dakar portava un po' di soldi anche a quelle nazioni che ne hanno sicuramente bisogno, cioè in definitiva faceva più bene che male per quelle nazioni quindi per loro il danno è ancora più elevato.

[Guest DESMO16]

Sono d'accordo, una gara unica...

Comunque non credo sia la fine della Dakar...

comunque sia, il fascino che aveva sin dall'inizio e fino a quasi metà anni '90, credo sia difficilmente replicabile...

..le Yamaha, Auriol, Ciril Neveux, De Petri, Eddy Orioli, ma sopratutto la Cagiva motorizzata Ducati...

[vandiemen]

Ormai la Dakar per le moto è diventata da anni un monomarca KTM. L'unico che cercava di rompere le uova nel pionere era il buon Fretigné con la Yamaha a trazione integrale.

Nelle auto dominio da sette edizioni della Mitsubishi... la Nissan ha rinunciato a sfidarla, la Volkswagen ha preso solo delle batoste...

[nunoHGT]

A dir la verità in Francia e Spagna ha un seguito grandissimo.

non voglio exagerare ,mah direi, che solo in italia non lo seguono.

[nunoHGT]

speravo di vedere la Panda Dakar di nuovo .

[vandiemen]

Effettivamente in Italia non affascina più la Dakar (ma si parla della massa, sia chiaro), a me ancora meno dopo la morte di Meoni che mi ha fatto rimanere malissimo. Nel resto d'Europa tira... il Portogallo, adesso che la partenza è da Lisbona, ha avuto un grosso boom per la manifestazione, a cui ad esempio avrebbe dovuto partecipare persino Tiago Monteiro.

In ogni caso quest'anno la PanDAKAR non ci sarebbe stata

[nunoHGT]

Cmq questa storia "puzza"! Ancora non riesco a capire come si puo annullare una prova al ultimo giorno , stavano gia tutti pronti .

In piu o visto un jornalista francese in tv che diceva che il motivo non poteva essere solo la sicurezza... o visto un altro co-pilota francese che diceva che stano isolando la Africa e che adesso lo fa anche lo sport !

Poi ci stano diversi teorie , quella della conspirazione francese motivata degli interessi economici in africa (e in francia) , a quanto pare la Francia a minacciato di non prendere la responsabilità di evacuare la gente in caso di "tragedia" che a fatto le compagnie di assicurazione togliere il appoggio a le squadre e ai piloti.

[nunoHGT]

Dakar 2008: Destroyed dreams and open questions.

Opinions about the cancellation of the Dakar 2008 cover a wide range from understandable to desaster. While a few usually bigger teams issue polite and politically correct statements of understanding and respect for the A.S.O.'s decision most of the Dakar participants are thrown into very personal fiascos by the current events.

Very roughly estimated the budget for a Dakar participantion that needs to be taken into consideration for a motorbike starts from 50.000 Euros and for a car including support at 200.000 Euros. A lot of the sponsorships for smaller and medium size teams have the passage included that the money will only be fully paid "when the participant successfully takes part in the start of the event". As the A.S.O. cancelled the Dakar before the start this condition is obviously not fulfilled. However, even in a legally safer situation for the participants it is questionable if the full support can be claimed from a hesitant sponsor without a value in return.

At Saturday noon most of the participants have left Lisbon with different destinations. Who is able to arrange a journey back home is on their way back. Some participants are heading for Portimao as their hotels are booked anyhow. Even more amazingly some racers left heading on their own wheels to Dakar. In their own private journey and without the help of the official organisation. A motorcycle team from Holland is planning to travel on their own "if the A.S.O. isn't able to do so".

Among these highly subjectively and emotion based activities on the other more rational side a lot of questions remain unanswered. The answers of Etienne Lavigne - Dakar race director - point in the direction that the "Dakar" as it is known and also what the name stands for will not take place again in 2009. "There will big a big event in 2009." was Lavigne's circumventive answer to the question if he could confirm that there will be a "Dakar 2009".

Completely not understood by most of the Rally participants is the reason for the total cancellation instead of fulfilling the promises given to racers, spectators, fans and sponsors by rearranging the event. Robby Gordon from Team Dakar USA spoke out of the heart of everyone when he asked "I understand that you cannot put peoples' lives at risk but obviously Portugal welcomes us and we don't have any problems here in Lisbon. Why not at least race here on the specials where it is safe. I mean - there is solutions and to cancel it is not a solution."

Etienne Lavigne's answer to the question why the race did not at least go into Marocco is leaving more questions than it answers. Lavigned stated "Because we organize great events and not fiascos. A course of 4 days in Africa is not our business".

The cancellation unquestionably is a desaster that in the way it was communicated and handled will scare participants away. The opinion of the general public is supporting this. In a web survey conducted by Eurosport "What is your opinion to the Dakar cancellation" the most selected point was "Where is plan B from the organization?" followed by "At least some stages should have been driven". The German news magazine "Der Spiegel" asked in its online edition "Do you support the cancellation so the Rallye Dakar will not take place in this year?" The winning answer with 65% was "No, the route of the rally should have been changed".

Speculations and rumors are spreading and are naturally trying to fill the void left by the current situation. One intense topic of discussion are theories that financial insurance issues were the main reason for the cancellation of the Dakar and also made it impossible to run a shorter route. In the meantime without knowing the deeper underlying reasons several credible sources known to marathonrally.com confirmed these aspects. Speculations that the A.S.O. has bought the "Por las Pampas Rally" taking place in South America have been declared as incorrect by A.S.O. officials to marathonrally.com on Saturday afternoon, "We closely looked into the Por las Pampas Rally over the last year but the rumors that we are buying it are not true".

In an interview aired on television Patrice Clerc, president of the A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organization) said with a smile that the Dakar cancellation will not mean the death of the Dakar and will not have fatal financial impacts for the A.S.O.

A.S.O. customers and yearlong Dakar entrepreneurs such as Philippe Gache who constructed and prepared 9 race buggys for own customers will be quite unimpressed by this information. "I am ruined. I have 18 full time employees and my company in total pays more than 80.000 Euros wages per month. We have invested our ressources in the preparation of this Dakar. Even if there will be a Dakar in 2009 I will not be able participate any more." Gache even states more seriously "The A.S.O. people are crazy, they are gambling with our health. I have to think about dismissing my mechanics because my clients will want their investments back and I am not able to fulfill that."

Fact is that the total cancellation of the Dakar on short notice severely damaged the image of the A.S.O. and raises valid questions about the future of the destination Dakar and the rally itself that will need to be answered very soon. Already now participants are flocking away from the Dakar to join other major events like the "Transorientale Rally" in June 2008. Ronn Bailey has already confirmed his participation there and Andre Dessoude hopes his sponsors will join the move from the Dakar to the Transorientale.

[nunoHGT]

Les principales réactions suite à l'annulation du Dakar. Pour Bruno Saby, vainqueur en 1993, c'est un tournant dans l'histoire de l'épreuve.

Etienne Lavigne (directeur du Dakar): "C'est une terrible nouvelle. Le Dakar 2008 ne partira pas. Le Dakar est sonné mais le Dakar est debout. Je veux remercier tous les participants. Vous êtes la légende du Dakar. Vous en avez fait l'histoire. Et l'histoire n'est pas terminée".

Ruben Faria (POR/moto, vainqueur de la première spéciale du Dakar-2007 entre Lisbonne et Portimao): "Le travail de toute une année est tombé à l'eau. Les entraînements, la préparation des équipes et les coûts associés à l'épreuve reine des rallyes tout-terrain ont été vains (...) Les montants investis sont importants et, à présent, je ne sais pas quelle explication donner aux sponsors. Je n'ose même pas y penser."

Tiago Monteiro (POR/auto, 1re participation, ancien pilote de F1): "J'ai investi trois mois de ma vie. Pour moi, c'était un projet ponctuel, mais il y des milliers de gens qui en vivent et pour qui c'est le projet de toute une vie."

Miguel Barbosa (POR/auto, 3e participation, pilote officiel de BMW et trois fois champion portugais de tout-terrain): "Il faut accepter la décision. Nous regrettons tous ce qui s'est passé, mais maintenant il faut aller de l'avant. J'avais confiance pour l'épreuve. L'organisation nous a déjà donné quelques éléments d'explication et nous allons nous réunir avec l'équipe pour envisager les mesures à prendre. Nous ne pourrons même pas recueillir de données sur la voiture afin de l'améliorer pour la prochaine édition."

Carlos Sousa (POR/auto, 12e participation, 4e en 2003): "Les équipes n'ont pas été entendues lorsque l'annulation du rallye Dakar a été décidée. Nous sommes déçus par l'annulation de l'épreuve. J'estime que toutes les alternatives n'ont pas été explorées pour résoudre cette situation. L'épreuve devait au moins aller jusqu'au Maroc".

Carole Montillet (FRA/auto, 2e participation, au micro de France 2): "Je pense que tous les gens ici sont hyper déçus. Après, je pense qu'il y a pire que ça. Mais c'est vrai que pour tous les sportifs ici, c'était une super aventure. Les gens se préparent depuis un an. Financièrement, les équipes ont mis beaucoup d'énergie, beaucoup d'argent pour les préparations de voitures."

Christian Lavieille (FRA/auto, au micro de France 2): "Les teams ne pourront pas rembourser les clients ni les sponsors. Il y a eu trois mois de main d'oeuvre, les pièces... Je pense que ça va être très compliqué, qu'il y aura une très mauvaise ambiance. L'image du Dakar en prend un coup et on ne sait pas s'il y aura un autre Dakar derrière, surtout."

Bruno Saby (FRA/auto, vainqueur en 1993, au micro de France 2): "C'est un tournant au niveau de l'Afrique. Je ne pense pas qu'un organisateur, aujourd'hui, quel qu'il soit, prenne le risque de retourner organiser une épreuve sur ce continent. Ca, c'est dramatique, de savoir que l'Afrique est un continent abandonné et qu'il le sera de plus en plus, au point, maintenant, de ne même plus y aller faire du sport. Nous, on faisait du sport, en faisant de l'humanitaire en même temps."

Ari Vatanen (Finlande, quadruple vainqueur du Dakar): "C'est très dur pour le sport, mais ce n'est que la partie émergée de l'iceberg. On se rend compte (des effets) de la politique des pays occidentaux en Afrique depuis 50 ans. Les gens sont tellement désespérés qu'ils s'abandonnent au terrorisme et aujourd'hui le rallye est pris en otage par les voyous, les terroristes et les fanatiques. Les pays africains sont rongés par la corruption mais nous avons une responsabilité. La valeur du Dakar, c'est d'être une vitrine de l'Afrique. Les Africains ont été privés de tout, faut-il les priver aussi du Dakar? Le fait d'annuler le rallye doit nous réveiller: le destin des Africains, c'est le nôtre".

eurosport

[BlacK_Lab3L]

Cmq questa storia "puzza"! Ancora non riesco a capire come si puo annullare una prova al ultimo giorno , stavano gia tutti pronti .

In piu o visto un jornalista francese in tv che diceva che il motivo non poteva essere solo la sicurezza... o visto un altro co-pilota francese che diceva che stano isolando la Africa e che adesso lo fa anche lo sport !

Poi ci stano diversi teorie , quella della conspirazione francese motivata degli interessi economici in africa (e in francia) , a quanto pare la Francia a minacciato di non prendere la responsabilità di evacuare la gente in caso di "tragedia" che a fatto le compagnie di assicurazione togliere il appoggio a le squadre e ai piloti.

IMHO in qualche modo gli hanno promesso guerra ( fuori e dentro i confini europei)...... la teoria complottistica non sta proprio in piedi....