Chris Birch Dakar Updates

[ajturbo]

this is a cool thread to watch..

[k14]

Pic from todays stage.

[Ktmboy]

“What a day! I had a really great day, but what chaos with Iain’s bike burning – all that is left is a wheel and frame. My USA mate here had a crash and hurt his leg but he’s still in it coz he’s a tough ... person! Someone else’s engines blew up today, but my bike is going strong, Memo Tours got it all fixed up for me after my crash.

I really enjoyed today, really soft dunes, big mountain pass, fesh-fesh – that talcum powder dirt – it was like riding in clay ruts in Riverhead in winter but can’t see where u going!”

Tomorrow (well tonight!) we go over to Chile, the Copiapo pass... that will be interesting!”

Chris Birch

[Reckless]

It sounds like he got lost for a while rather than a crash.
Unlike this poor American rider

http://media2.rtve.es/resources/TE_N...5624461438.mp4

They sure are fangin it!! looked like a nasty kicker in the back. Wonder if this is the american guy Chris talks about in his later blogs?

Glad Chris's up and running after his off to!!

Go the kiwi!!

Great THREAD! Cheers all!!

[Ktmboy]

Chris is now halfway through Dakar 2012! He had a really good, fun day on the Copiapo loop, he was a bit nervous and think he expected it to be much longer than it was for him.

Chris finished 34th today which sees him now sitting in 41st overall, after making up about 6 places today.

Am hoping to hear from him again today and will send more info from him when I do.



Monica

[Ktmboy]

After a nice rest day stocking up on food and washing sweat from one of two sets of kit, Chris was ready to tackle the second half. He had his second engine put into the bike as well on the rest day – many people have had to withdraw with engine troubles so thankfully Chris’s has been fine!


Chris and Darryl Curtis pretty much rode together for most of today, Chris made good time and ended the stage in about 30th and moved from 42nd overall to 39th, fantastic catching up skills!


Chris says:

“Well that was 500k’s of pure shi*t, not one good bit!! It was just flat out, like FLAT OUT, dusty as hell with rocks everywhere!! But I made it back in one piece, doing nothing stupid, which seems to be working for me at the moment!! Still really enjoying it. Am I tired? Nope, I’m averaging 7 hours sleep a night [I pointed out that was more than me – Mon].

Those top guys are SOOOOO fast, geeze... I’m at my comfortable limit, going as fast as I can without doing anything risky as I really don’t need to!!”

He’s having a good time, I think he was almost disappointed at stage 7, think he was quite looking forward to a heck of a mission and then was back at the bivouac by 3pm!

He was also stunned by donations we received over the last few days – such a humble guy!

[Ktmboy]

What a great day for Chris... he and Darryl ploughed on ahead as if the dust and fesh-fesh were nothing... Chris ended the day’s stage in a very nice 17th and Darryl in 18th. Chris caught up 4 places overall, from 38th to 34th.

Overall, for Chris it is hard to catch too many places as the actual time differences from his crash early on in the race are pretty big – 10, 15, 20 minutes to gain on a few more places. It is achievable though and anything could happen! But remember – we firstly want him home (SA and NZ!) in one piece having FINISHED!!

So there are just 4 more stages to go! Who else is getting pretty excited ...



Chris says:

“Yup did pretty well today! I didn’t ride any faster, I just didn’t get lost and others did!! I got to these massive dunes and thought hmmm I’m not to hot on navigation through the dunes, and I got to the fast guys and though un oh I stuffed it up – but it turns out they had somewhere along the way instead, not me!!

Really cool riding today, the last few days have been not so great so it was nice to have some cool riding. We rode along one part and saw ancient Aztec carvings on the side of mountains, that was pretty awesome.

On to Peru tomorrow! Two countries down, one to go. Tomorrow’s road book is a total monster, I’ve got at least 2 hours of going through that still tonight. I’m finding that as long as someone is around I’m good, as I don’t stray from the track but sometimes find I can get a bit lost within the road book!”

Also don't forget the Trade Me auction to help Chris out. Only a couple of days to go!!

[Ktmboy]

Stage 12 was a shorter day today, just 250-odd km’s.


Chris finished in 25th for the day and is sitting 28th at the moment overall (pending all finishers!). Apparently when he crossed the finish line today he ‘looked awesome’ (direct from Hayley, Iain's wife!)

Only two more stages to go before Chris completes his first Dakar Rally!

Chris says:

"I got a bit lost today on the dunes - I mean these dunes were MASSIVE! I had to circle around a bit to find the waypoint, that was a bit confusing but I got there and got to all the waypoints. I had to jump and run about half a dozen times today - this sand is so soft it's unbelievable! I saw heaps of good crashes and over the bars, you just ride along, looks all good, then BHAM! over they go.

I can almost SMELL Lima! Just one big stage tomorrow - it's supposed to be quite challenging - and then the last day. Stoked!"

[Ktmboy]

Today Chris managed to hold on to his placing of about 28th, but he suffered quite a massive crash along the way... FYI he is ok, bit banged up and sore but still going!

“There was a big drop off that wasn’t really marked on the route book, and it took me a bit by surprise. I jumped about 3 metres down, and just landed wrong – face planted into the safety equipment on the bike... I thought I had broken my nose, and I sort of knocked myself out for a second as well. Not only that I sprained my ankle pretty bad. It was a pretty big one, very scary, and I’m quite sore! But I have made sure I can still get my boot on, and even though one of my jackets is covered in blood, I am ok.

Just a 30km stage tomorrow so pretty much finished just gotta get through tomorrow...”

[Ktmboy]

Well done to Birchy. A bloody big ask on top of a fairly hectic yearly for the boy (and Monica) from good ole NZ.

Looking at all that sand I doubt Chris will be wanting to ride at The Sandpit for a few weeks on his return.
It'll be interesting to see whether Dakar is on the agenda for next year. If so then I bet he'll be aiming for a top 10 finish.
So congrats to Chris and thanks Monica for the updates. Talking of which here is the latest.

Chris finished Dakar!!Dakar |KTM
6 months preparation, 1 trip to Namibia, 15 days, 13 stages, 2 crashes and a whole lot of determination... worth it, as Chris finished his first Dakar Rally today!

He is pretty stoked, a bit sore, heading for bath and beer, but very happy to have finished.

Chris did fantastically well and despite a crash that took him an hour to fix his bike, and another crash so close to the finish that knocked him out and left him rather dazed and injured, he pushed and pushed, skulled back a cup of concrete and finished in 27th overall.

From 178 starters there were only 98 finishers in the bike category - a 50% finishing rate.

Well done Chris!

A big huge thank you to Chris's sposnsors for Dakar:

•Comsol
•Memo Tours
•Red Bull
•KTM
•Kini
•PS Laser
•Adrialpetro
•Hyde
•Airoh
•Ariete
And to everyone who generously donated to Chris's campaign out of their own pockets, it has made a huge difference and meant he could just get on with the task at hand!

[quickbuck]

WOW,
Well done Chris Birch!

That is an Awesome result. A big salute to him!

[takitimu]

Well done Birchy, that was one helluva effort !!!.

[george formby]

Testes Immensus!!

I'm stoked Chris finished let alone finished so well in his first attempt. Read so much about riders who have taken years just to complete the Dakar.

[Bender]

Huge effort. Respect.

[Crisis management]

Well done Chris and thanks Tony for keeping the info flowing, Dakar could learn a bit about disemination of info....