Foo - Dakar Rally Canceled

Not sure how many follow the Dakar Rally, it is really a great race. I'm pretty bummed out by this. Guess I should change my AV now.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-04-voa25.cfm




Update 2-12-2008 Dakar Rally is back on in 2009, except now in South American. Dakar 2009 (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2008-02-11-dakar-rally_N.htm)

That sh1ts me. :mad: The bad guys win again. :(

Wow, I didn't know anyone would be following this. I just heard about it being cancelled today while I was at work. It was supposed to come 50 km from Nouakchott and I was going out to see it. This kind of sucks, it was the highlight of January.

While I am not a big follower of the race I hate the fact that the terrorists have won. I do understand the concern for safety. A race is not worth a life. When will this all end......I am guessing never.

Wow, I didn't know anyone would be following this. I just heard about it being cancelled today while I was at work. It was supposed to come 50 km from Nouakchott and I was going out to see it. This kind of sucks, it was the highlight of January.

That sucks, I would love to have had a chance to see part of the Rally in person. It doesn't get much coverage in the US so I have had to follow it online.

There were actually a few incidents that caused this. Four French tourists were killed near Aleg (150 miles southeast of Nouakchott) and three Mauritanian Army soldiers were killed pretty far to the northeast, not far from Mali and Morocco. There were also threats made against the Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott. That all happened by the 28th so we don't know if more is to follow. I have co-workers here that throw a party for some of the crews and once in a while a driver from the race every year when it passes through. Guess that is all canceled now.

I have enjoyed following the Dakar in years past. Coverage is a little spotty, but this is bad and sad news.

While I am not a big follower of the race I hate the fact that the terrorists have won. I do understand the concern for safety. A race is not worth a life. When will this all end......I am guessing never.

I think that now that the race has stopped, it will be much harder to get it going again. There would have to be extraordinarily safe conditions for somebody to want to resurrect the race due to liability concerns. Of course there will always be the macho types who would race regardless of the terrorist threat, but I think it would be harder to convince people to come back too. I don't see the race coming back any time soon.

It will be interesting how ASO reacts to ensure security at it's other events. I have never attended and ASO event, but I hear they have a few big ones :)

I think that now that the race has stopped, it will be much harder to get it going again. There would have to be extraordinarily safe conditions for somebody to want to resurrect the race due to liability concerns. Of course there will always be the macho types who would race regardless of the terrorist threat, but I think it would be harder to convince people to come back too. I don't see the race coming back any time soon.


It will be difficult to get sponsors involved that is for sure, it may turn into some type of off-road gumball rally race.

The Taliban won years ago when they blasted the statues off the side of that mountain as the world stood idly by and watched. Should killed the lot of them right then and there.

I keep thinking of the voiceover in CS:

"Terrorists win"

Meh. :/

Hella lames. I never really kept up with the race, but anything that has big honkin' KTM adventure bikes and Unimogs throwing down in the desert is pretty freekin' cool. Freekin' terrorist scumbags.

at least the baja 1000 still exists!

they blew up mount rushmore?

I think that now that the race has stopped, it will be much harder to get it going again. There would have to be extraordinarily safe conditions for somebody to want to resurrect the race due to liability concerns. Of course there will always be the macho types who would race regardless of the terrorist threat, but I think it would be harder to convince people to come back too. I don't see the race coming back any time soon.Remember that this is OUTSIDE the US, so there's a concept of personal-responsibility that doesn't exist within. There's always some sort of wreck where people get hurt. Couple years ago, one of the transport 18-wheeler trucks that they race across the desert to provide support crashed. The driver was found over 300-yards away still strapped to his seat; dead of course. But there's no lawsuits, no pointing fingers and blame. Those who get into this sport recognize the risks and accept it. Even with terrorist threats, it's probably still safer than back in the Group-B days.

Yep! Sucks...plenty of races back in the U.S. coming up. Laughlin and Parker.
Some Vids on youtube of shakin' down before Dakar 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dakar+Gordon&search=Search
http://www.robbygordon.com/cms/publish/cat_index_60.shtml

The event is organized by the French-based Amaury Sport Organization (ASO).

There's a TdF connection there. Cool.

Is this the same race as Paris-Dakar?

There's a TdF connection there. Cool.

Is this the same race as Paris-Dakar?

Same, but different. Diffferent name and starting place. Lisboa-Dakar

Remember that this is OUTSIDE the US, so there's a concept of personal-responsibility that doesn't exist within. There's always some sort of wreck where people get hurt. Couple years ago, one of the transport 18-wheeler trucks that they race across the desert to provide support crashed. The driver was found over 300-yards away still strapped to his seat; dead of course. But there's no lawsuits, no pointing fingers and blame. Those who get into this sport recognize the risks and accept it. Even with terrorist threats, it's probably still safer than back in the Group-B days.

Good point. In America, the prevailing attitude seems to be that if you got hurt, you won the lottery because someone else must always be responsible. It makes me want to projectile vomit. Oh wait, better sue the Chinese restaurant I bought dinner from last night... and the sofa maker, for not including a Scotchguard treatment from the factory... and ask for millions of dollars because my inner child's feelings got hurt...

When will this all end......I am guessing never.

DING DING "WINNER"

Will the "Heroes Legend Paris to Dakar" rally still go on next month?

Will the "Heroes Legend Paris to Dakar" rally still go on next month?

Not sure about that rally since I'm not familiar with it, but if the rally follows the same as the Dakar Rally route, I'm sure the will at least alter the route.

The problem is that all countries over here are having issues. Algiers had bombings a month or two ago, Mali is always bad and Mauritania (where I now live) is killing tourists and local military. The French still have travel warnings here so they are expecting more trouble.

Dakar 2009 (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2008-02-11-dakar-rally_N.htm)

My computer says your link doesn't work. Wanna fix it?

My computer says your link doesn't work. Wanna fix it?

Fixed

They should run next year's Dakar rally on the ice roads in Canada. That'd be awesome and fewer terrorists.

Yep, just have to worry about the Eco Terrorist.

Yep, just have to worry about the Eco Terrorist.

:roflmao: