GasGas at Dakar 2018

CDN Rick said:
GasGas/Torrot people have been on this site confirming that they will not be using the old Husky tech that they had purchased. Any move to a 4T engine will be a completely new in house designs. So unless they backpedal on that decision I doubt we'll ever see that Italian Husky motor again.
Remember that this isn't just GasGas anymore. Torrot has seriously deep pockets and really wants to see success.
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They must have sold that engine to SWM, who seems to be the "new" red Husky warmed over again.

I think there will be an awesome battle between Gas Gas, Yamaha, Himoinsa, and Sherco. They all are top 10 contenders but the Husky/KTM/Honda war will consume the top 5 this year I'm afraid as they are all on next gen bikes with well backed, trained, and amazing pilots.
 
VxZeroKnots said:
I think there will be an awesome battle between Gas Gas, Yamaha, Himoinsa, and Sherco. They all are top 10 contenders but the Husky/KTM/Honda war will consume the top 5 this year I'm afraid as they are all on next gen bikes with well backed, trained, and amazing pilots.
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I'm calling Toby Price for the win. I think he's had enough time to heal and practice. I think this will be the year he can finally pull it all together.

2nd is Joan Barrenda. I think he has what it takes even with his hand injury.

3rd is Sunderland. He's got a fire to become a legend and cleared last year by a significant margin.

I do think VanBeveren could really pull an upset and make the top 3 as well.

Honestly I think its too hard to call any of these places though. There are so many riders in it this year. And so many of them are so talented.

Who are you guys calling for the 3 podium finishes??
 
CDN Rick said:
I'm calling Toby Price for the win. I think he's had enough time to heal and practice. I think this will be the year he can finally pull it all together.

2nd is Joan Barrenda. I think he has what it takes even with his hand injury.

3rd is Sunderland. He's got a fire to become a legend and cleared last year by a significant margin.

I do think VanBeveren could really pull an upset and make the top 3 as well.

Honestly I think its too hard to call any of these places though. There are so many riders in it this year. And so many of them are so talented.

Who are you guys calling for the 3 podium finishes??
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Toby is one of my favorite racers alive at the moment but despite a huge well of talent I just don't think he has the preparation and time on the bike for the top step this year.

You're damn right it's a tough call at this point though, Barreda has the speed but the bike/crashing/team has always held him back. Starting with an injury is going to be hard to overcome with his riding style over two hard weeks. Will the HRC bikes still be competitive against these new gen KTM's?

1.) Walkner
2.) Sunderland
3.) Quintanilla
4.) Benavides
5.) De Soultrait

Totally reaching with that list, but this edition stands to be very exciting as long as the riders stay healthy
 
VxZeroKnots said:
Toby is one of my favorite racers alive at the moment but despite a huge well of talent I just don't think he has the preparation and time on the bike for the top step this year.

You're damn right it's a tough call at this point though, Barreda has the speed but the bike/crashing/team has always held him back. Starting with an injury is going to be hard to overcome with his riding style over two hard weeks. Will the HRC bikes still be competitive against these new gen KTM's?

1.) Walkner
2.) Sunderland
3.) Quintanilla
4.) Benavides
5.) De Soultrait

Totally reaching with that list, but this edition stands to be very exciting as long as the riders stay healthy
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I like your list!! Great calls.

You think De Soultrait has it in him eh? He's a fast guy.

Can't count out Ricky Brabec either. He may have what it takes to pull a huge upset. Took one stage win last year. I think his weakness is the length of the Rally. He comes out the gate hard but falls away the longer it goes.

How well do you think Jonny Aubert will do? Think he can make Top 20? Top 15? He's such a talented rider but is missing a lot of the rally experience that so many guys at this Dakar have.
 
CDN Rick said:
I like your list!! Great calls.

You think De Soultrait has it in him eh? He's a fast guy.

Can't count out Ricky Brabec either. He may have what it takes to pull a huge upset. Took one stage win last year. I think his weakness is the length of the Rally. He comes out the gate hard but falls away the longer it goes.

How well do you think Jonny Aubert will do? Think he can make Top 20? Top 15? He's such a talented rider but is missing a lot of the rally experience that so many guys at this Dakar have.
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I think De Soultrait has it in him looking at his results in the FIMCCC this year and he has the backing. I'd love to see a Brabec upset too and he has been putting in the work but he also spent a lot of 2017 injured from NHHA round 4 i believe. I'm also not convinced he is a great navigator or tactician but we will see.

Aubert certainly has the speed but I haven't been following his training regimen and think you're right regarding the navigation, my guess is inside the top 20 but behind Laia Sanz... I think the smaller bike is going to help her out a lot and we already know she has the chops to crack the top 10.

I'm pretty confident in my top 4 with a Brabec/Meo/VanBeveren upset not surprising me. If Goncalves and Renet were there it would be even harder. I really want to see a Honda upset but can't stand Barreda's attitude.

I'll also be pulling hard for a Bill Conger finishin and top 30 result from Petr Vlcek. I've ridden with Conger quite a bit in UT and battled Vlcek at the 2016 Baja Rally until he finally succumbed to food poisoningon the last day.

Also, obviously, I'd like to see good showing from Samuels and Short.
 
VxZeroKnots said:
I think De Soultrait has it in him looking at his results in the FIMCCC this year and he has the backing. I'd love to see a Brabec upset too and he has been putting in the work but he also spent a lot of 2017 injured from NHHA round 4 i believe. I'm also not convinced he is a great navigator or tactician but we will see.

Aubert certainly has the speed but I haven't been following his training regimen and think you're right regarding the navigation, my guess is inside the top 20 but behind Laia Sanz... I think the smaller bike is going to help her out a lot and we already know she has the chops to crack the top 10.

I'm pretty confident in my top 4 with a Brabec/Meo/VanBeveren upset not surprising me. If Goncalves and Renet were there it would be even harder. I really want to see a Honda upset but can't stand Barreda's attitude.

I'll also be pulling hard for a Bill Conger finishin and top 30 result from Petr Vlcek. I've ridden with Conger quite a bit in UT and battled Vlcek at the 2016 Baja Rally until he finally succumbed to food poisoningon the last day.

Also, obviously, I'd like to see good showing from Samuels and Short.
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I like the way you think. Must have been a lot of fun racing the Baja Rally! How'd you do at the event?

Malle Moto is always an interesting class. Those guys are freakin insane! Its already a gruelling event. Why make it even harder. You gotta wonder how well a guy like Poskitt would do with factory backing and a decent sleep at night!!
 
Just watched Jonny Aubert take off from the starting Podium on the live broadcast on the bookface.

Less than 5 hours to go time!! :eek:
 
CDN Rick said:
I like the way you think. Must have been a lot of fun racing the Baja Rally! How'd you do at the event?

Malle Moto is always an interesting class. Those guys are freakin insane! Its already a gruelling event. Why make it even harder. You gotta wonder how well a guy like Poskitt would do with factory backing and a decent sleep at night!!
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Poskitt sounded like hell on his stream this morning! I rode with him and Basel on some training routes after he did Sonora in 2016ish. I raced Baja Rally the year after he did and ended up 7th OA and 3rd in class (expert). Angelo (Petr Vlcek) probably would have knocked me to 8th if he didn't have to withdraw.

He, Carlos Gracida (2014/2017 Dakar) and I were all pretty evenly matched and rode together a lot but it was very apparent they both had more experience and rode smarter. I was on a faster bike in the rough stuff and better technical rider but they both pulled some smooth ones one me that showed they knew the game well.

Let the games begin, this is going to be a good one!
 
VxZeroKnots said:
Poskitt sounded like hell on his stream this morning! I rode with him and Basel on some training routes after he did Sonora in 2016ish. I raced Baja Rally the year after he did and ended up 7th OA and 3rd in class (expert). Angelo (Petr Vlcek) probably would have knocked me to 8th if he didn't have to withdraw.

He, Carlos Gracida (2014/2017 Dakar) and I were all pretty evenly matched and rode together a lot but it was very apparent they both had more experience and rode smarter. I was on a faster bike in the rough stuff and better technical rider but they both pulled some smooth ones one me that showed they knew the game well.

Let the games begin, this is going to be a good one!
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Wow. You must be quite the rider. Still racing these days?
 
CDN Rick said:
Wow. You must be quite the rider. Still racing these days?
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Rally is so expensive I only do a legit one every couple years. Mostly doing a lot of hard enduro, NHHA and regional enduro/HS stuff.


Looks like times are starting to come in for SS1
 
VxZeroKnots said:
Rally is so expensive I only do a legit one every couple years. Mostly doing a lot of hard enduro, NHHA and regional enduro/HS stuff.


Looks like times are starting to come in for SS1
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That was exciting!! Sunderland storming out of the gate with VanBeveren hot on his heels!! :eek::eek:

Nothing really surprising for me in the top 10 for stage one other than Toby Price coming in 14th. I expected better. :rolleyes:


So incredible to see Jonathan Barragan and Cristain Espana taking 18th and 20th respectively. I know its only one day of racing but WOW!! 2 GasGas riders in the top 20!! :eek::eek:

Doesn't look like Barreda's hand is hurting him too much either..
 
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Yup great first day for the underdogs! Brabec, short, and samuels all did well given their experience levels as well!

My guess is Sunderland is bummed to have the stage win and price is right where he wants to be. Four days of dunes ahead will let him make up a ton of time out of the dust but following tracks. Sunderland is a great sand rider but opening the stage is always tough.
 
VxZeroKnots said:
Yup great first day for the underdogs! Brabec, short, and samuels all did well given their experience levels as well!

My guess is Sunderland is bummed to have the stage win and price is right where he wants to be. Four days of dunes ahead will let him make up a ton of time out of the dust but following tracks. Sunderland is a great sand rider but opening the stage is always tough.
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Thoughts on today?

Exciting to see Barragan slide up to 11th in the stage standings with a really strong special today. I only hope he can keep it up as the race goes long.

Jonny Aubert up to 17th in the stage.

As you predicted Price is up a number of places.

And Barreda takes the stage win. Gotta wonder if that was in his strategy.


Can you explain why they aren't showing all of his or Brabec's waypoint times??
 
Brabec was fourth on the stage (3) moving up to 5th OA. Van Beveren and Barreda paid a big price for bad days, sliding down the rankings to 7th and 15th respectively (as of 10:37est)
 
Yeah the tracking is notoriously bad, I've been following since about 2009ish and it's always been a running joke on ADV. I'm sure Ricky's info will get updated eventually.

Bummed Sanz lost 20 minutes so early, she always seems to suffer the same fate. Perhaps a consequence of her riding style?

Now Stage 3! Barreda has already made a huge mistake, Sam is gaining time, Toby is getting back to form but Walkner isn't attacking like I thought he would. Perhaps he is content to take a back seat to Sam/Toby?

I'm super bummed for Adrian Metge to have to abandon the stage. 23rd for Pedrero on the Sherco is pretty respectable so farbut I'd be surprised if he cracks the top 15.

I think Bill Conger might have been forced to act out water carrier duties for a team mate with a broken wheel and had a long day yesterday but I'm stoked he made it in.
 
Certainly a lot of changes with stage 3. Barreda will have to run a perfect race from now on to finish well. Very disappointing as I was sorta rooting for him.

Vanbeveren's slide will be hard to recover from as well. But there is so much racing left and I hope he'll pull back up. Must be the Yamaha blood left in me but I'm rootin for him!

Sunderland's win must be putting a lot of confidence in his step today.

Price's strategy seems to be to run with the leaders but not be the leader.


A lot of guys seem to think the ASO is purposely bad with the tracking info just to confuse teams so they cannot radio information to their teams to sandbag or pick up the pace.
Its possible but I kinda doubt it. I've done timekeeping for races. Even with electronic timing its a total shitshow until the race officials have time to properly sort it all out. Nature of the beast.


Lots of changes today!! Looking forward to tomorrow!
 
Yeah race timing is always a cluster, at Baja Rally we never even knew our stage finish positions until like 24 hours later which made strategy impossible.

Most conspiracy theories can be chalked up to technology, incompetence, or confusion would be my guess.

Stoked on Brabec moving into the top 5. It's going to a be a long shot for the Yamaha boys after today.

Kevin B is making a great showing for Honda, I've always preferred him over Barreda.
 
VxZeroKnots said:
Yeah race timing is always a cluster, at Baja Rally we never even knew our stage finish positions until like 24 hours later which made strategy impossible.

Most conspiracy theories can be chalked up to technology, incompetence, or confusion would be my guess.

Stoked on Brabec moving into the top 5. It's going to a be a long shot for the Yamaha boys after today.

Kevin B is making a great showing for Honda, I've always preferred him over Barreda.
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Barreda is a great rider. No question about that. I guess the nature of Dakar is that one small mistake can have massive consequences.
But he strikes me as someone who's maturity disappears when something goes wrong.

I was also exited to see Brabec climbing again. I still think he may have what it takes to surprise everyone.
 
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