Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress
528 km (of which 82km Special Section)
Today the Rally crossed into China and into stunning landscape. For the riders, the border seems to have presented little bureaucracy, but unfortunately one of the rally cars hit a pedestrian in Kazakstan and the border was immediately closed whilst the incident was investigated. All the support crews were stuck on the wrong side of the border.
Due to the slow speed of the support convoy, it is now 4 nights since Patricia has actually seen her Dad/mechanic - but other riders have helped to do essential bike maintenance and tyre changes.
When Patricia called tonight (10.30pm local time), she was in her sleeping bag - the first time it had caught up with her in 4 days..... in a tent that is not waterproof ... in the pouring rain. I'm not 100% familiar with German expletives, but I think I heard a few being muttered !
Some good news, in addition to the stunning landscape, is as follows:
- Patricia had a great day on the Special Section - due to altering the angle of her trip meter, which in turn meant she could navigate whilst standing up on the bike, and hence drive faster (umm....yes apparently going faster is good news! What happened to "I just want to finish?!") - she came 14th in today's Special out of 47 riders who seem to remain in the rally. She is still 21st overall.
- Tomorrow is the last day before rest-day on Sunday, which is not a moment too soon , as tonight she sounded completely exhausted.
Sounds like it might be worth watching Motors TV tonight, to see "riders weaving between small hills, cut through by little fjords", and possibly catching a glimpse of No.22.
Teaboy
BBC Cambridgeshire Newsroom
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is allegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see. I might be the only person in the world who cannot get it working, so feel free to try for yourself.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Day 8 - June 19, Botakara to Ayaguz
Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress.
729 km (of which 446 km Special Section)
Today (Day 8) was the longest special section of the Rally - but in fantastic terrain according to Patricia : "Great Fun". Patricia's trip-meter broke off it's fitting today which means she had to hold it on while she rode along. It is key to navigation. That should be fixed tonight by the team. I spoke to Patricia this evening about 10.30pm their time, and the organisation vehicles were still not at camp and no-one seemed to have an ETA. It seems the logistics of this Rally are causing as many problems for the organisation as for the riders!
Patricia was 21st in today's special section, placing her 21st overall to date, of a remaining 51 riders in the Rally.
Sorry for the brevity of this report, but information is getting thinner the further East they progress - as phone reception becomes unreliable. Overall progress is good, with largely minor issues on the bike and careful attention to navigation paying off. Touch wood.
Over and Out,
Your humble and intermittent reporter.
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is allegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see. I might be the only person in the world who cannot get it working, so feel free to try for yourself.
729 km (of which 446 km Special Section)
Today (Day 8) was the longest special section of the Rally - but in fantastic terrain according to Patricia : "Great Fun". Patricia's trip-meter broke off it's fitting today which means she had to hold it on while she rode along. It is key to navigation. That should be fixed tonight by the team. I spoke to Patricia this evening about 10.30pm their time, and the organisation vehicles were still not at camp and no-one seemed to have an ETA. It seems the logistics of this Rally are causing as many problems for the organisation as for the riders!
Patricia was 21st in today's special section, placing her 21st overall to date, of a remaining 51 riders in the Rally.
Sorry for the brevity of this report, but information is getting thinner the further East they progress - as phone reception becomes unreliable. Overall progress is good, with largely minor issues on the bike and careful attention to navigation paying off. Touch wood.
Over and Out,
Your humble and intermittent reporter.
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is allegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see. I might be the only person in the world who cannot get it working, so feel free to try for yourself.
Day 7 - June 18, Arkalik to Botakara
Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress. Posted June 19 2008.
692 km (No Special Section)
Yesterday's special section was cancelled, due largely to disorganisation resulting from the tragedies from the day before. This made the day relatively straight-forward for Patricia, from a riding point of view, although it seems that the organisation trucks and assistance vehicles are arriving in the camp after the riders - which is meaning all the work seems to happen between 10pm and 3am, including about 3 hrs for sleep!
The good news is that the Assistance Van was repaired yesterday, with a new shock absorber.
Story on the death of No 42 seems to be that the truck saw him, sounded the Sentinel and he heard that. The impatient truck came up close behind him, as he tried to manoeuvre the bike out of the deep rutted track they were on. He was climbing the side of the rut, but didn't make it and slid back into the rut (still riding). However it was too late, the truck driver had assumed he would make it out of the rut and put his foot down in anticipation. In most places that would be called "Causing Death by Dangerous Driving", but on a Rally it is called an "accident" and not even a time penalty was administered to the truck driver. Astonishing!
692 km (No Special Section)
Yesterday's special section was cancelled, due largely to disorganisation resulting from the tragedies from the day before. This made the day relatively straight-forward for Patricia, from a riding point of view, although it seems that the organisation trucks and assistance vehicles are arriving in the camp after the riders - which is meaning all the work seems to happen between 10pm and 3am, including about 3 hrs for sleep!
The good news is that the Assistance Van was repaired yesterday, with a new shock absorber.
Story on the death of No 42 seems to be that the truck saw him, sounded the Sentinel and he heard that. The impatient truck came up close behind him, as he tried to manoeuvre the bike out of the deep rutted track they were on. He was climbing the side of the rut, but didn't make it and slid back into the rut (still riding). However it was too late, the truck driver had assumed he would make it out of the rut and put his foot down in anticipation. In most places that would be called "Causing Death by Dangerous Driving", but on a Rally it is called an "accident" and not even a time penalty was administered to the truck driver. Astonishing!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Day 6 - June 17, Bogotse to Arkalik
Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress.
705 km (of which 328km Special Section)
The Eagle guards the entrance to Kazakstan - the image of foreboding proved horribly accurate.....
Today, one of the racing trucks hit French motorcyclist (Tonin No. 42) and he was killed, despite medical services being on-site within minutes. This accident is under investigation. The bikes are always being chased by the cars and then the trucks. The sentinel system should automatically alert bikes, when a car or truck is approaching from behind, so they can pull over. Something obviously went wrong with the system or the interpretation of it by one of the drivers. The trucks are monstrous - the wheels are taller than a motorbike.
A somewhat subdued atmosphere covers the Rally at present, as we can imagine.
Today, information has been sparse, but a text from Patricia reports she has finished for the day. She had an electrical problem on the bike which meant she had to turn her road book manually (slowed her down) and no GPS, so navigation was challenging. She says number 42 did not get out of the way quick enough as the truck came from behind, but the investigation continues. Today is marathon day, so the van and mechanics will not meet the riders tonight - hopefully one of the other riders will help fix the electrical problem. No results yet posted for today's stage....
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is alegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see. It does work from USA though
705 km (of which 328km Special Section)
The Eagle guards the entrance to Kazakstan - the image of foreboding proved horribly accurate.....Today, one of the racing trucks hit French motorcyclist (Tonin No. 42) and he was killed, despite medical services being on-site within minutes. This accident is under investigation. The bikes are always being chased by the cars and then the trucks. The sentinel system should automatically alert bikes, when a car or truck is approaching from behind, so they can pull over. Something obviously went wrong with the system or the interpretation of it by one of the drivers. The trucks are monstrous - the wheels are taller than a motorbike.
A somewhat subdued atmosphere covers the Rally at present, as we can imagine.
Today, information has been sparse, but a text from Patricia reports she has finished for the day. She had an electrical problem on the bike which meant she had to turn her road book manually (slowed her down) and no GPS, so navigation was challenging. She says number 42 did not get out of the way quick enough as the truck came from behind, but the investigation continues. Today is marathon day, so the van and mechanics will not meet the riders tonight - hopefully one of the other riders will help fix the electrical problem. No results yet posted for today's stage....
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is alegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see. It does work from USA though
Day 5 - June 16, Mrakovo to Bogotse
Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress. Posted June 17 2008.
630 km (of which 295km Special Section)
Not a good couple of days on the TransOrientale. Yesterday a chinese driver stopped to help another car out of trouble. The towing cable snapped and hit him across the face. He was taken to hospital and died this morning.
Yesterday the Rally entered Kazakstan. With temperatures rising to about 35 degrees, the green pastures of "tele tubby" land were making way for drier desert like conditions. Motorcyclists had a police escort into town, to change money at the bank, as it was not safe to go alone! The special stage was tough and Patricia "dropped" her bike once. Many people failed to find a check-point and got a 3 hour time penalty. She called me with 200km to go. The night before she had her first (cold) shower. The roads were getting rougher - so the van is still a major concern. By the end of yesterday, she has achieved 26th place for the day and 24th overall. Still in the top half of the field.
630 km (of which 295km Special Section)
Not a good couple of days on the TransOrientale. Yesterday a chinese driver stopped to help another car out of trouble. The towing cable snapped and hit him across the face. He was taken to hospital and died this morning.
Yesterday the Rally entered Kazakstan. With temperatures rising to about 35 degrees, the green pastures of "tele tubby" land were making way for drier desert like conditions. Motorcyclists had a police escort into town, to change money at the bank, as it was not safe to go alone! The special stage was tough and Patricia "dropped" her bike once. Many people failed to find a check-point and got a 3 hour time penalty. She called me with 200km to go. The night before she had her first (cold) shower. The roads were getting rougher - so the van is still a major concern. By the end of yesterday, she has achieved 26th place for the day and 24th overall. Still in the top half of the field.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Day 4 - June 15, Yellabouga to Mrakuvo
Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress.
693 km (of which 123km Special Section)
A good day for Patricia, on several fronts:
TV Coverage : if you are reading this on Sunday evening or Monday morning (UK time) and have access to Motors TV which is running a daily update on the Rally ..... tune in at 23.30 tonight or 10.00 Monday - as the programme includes a special profile on Patricia (and her Dad).
Results : Today was very muddy and a most importantly a very difficult navigation day on the Special Section. Several riders got lost and some for 30 minutes or more. Patricia did not and gained 19th position on today's stage, out of the 55 bikes still in play. That moves her up to 31st overall in the General Classification.
Now is a good time to tell a little story, the motto of which is "think before you speak". During the preparations in St Petersburg one of the male riders (they are all male except Patricia!) came up to Patricia and asked what size her engine is. She told him and he replied "good, I'm in a different category which means I won't have to worry about having a girl in front of me". His race number was a few behind Patricia, so he started 10 mins behind her on the first day. Frustrated , he caught up with her and did a loopy overtaking manouevre, to establish his point about being "faster than girls". 15 minutes later, Patricia turned a bend and there he is in a heap on the floor, with his belongings spread around. He refused to let Patricia leave him for 5 minutes because his arm hurt so much (who's the girl now then !!?). Turns out he broke his collar-bone and exited the Rally on Day 1. It is fine to be competitive, but as they say "better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you might be an idiot, than open your mouth and prove it beyond doubt".
Back to today - the scenery was gorgeous apparently - rolling green hills, just "like Tele Tubby Land" said Patricia. Many people were struggling to keep upright in the thick mud. Simon got lost for 30km and Colin dropped his bike 10 times - sounds like attention to detail and selective pacing were key to the day (he said having never been on a motorbike in his life !!).
Patricia phoned me with 70km of Liaison to go, having just fallen asleep under a (parked) lorry, because she was so tired. She got to camp OK and has just woken up to start Day 5 - during the night, the local fireman had kindly hosed the mud off all the filthy bikes - sounds like the locals are supporting this Rally big-time. Day 4 also visited the home town of Kamaz trucks - many of which are in the Rally - so extra support and excitement was generated because of this.
The main worry at the moment remains the Assistance Van, which is still limping along - plans are afoot to fly some new shock absorbers out from the UK to arrive on rest day - but it seems a long time until rest day, so it is touch and go.
Tomorrow's update (ie today on the Rally) will report on progress as they leave Russia and enter Kazakhstan....the desert stage is looming closer.....
Your humble Correspondent.
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is alegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see.
693 km (of which 123km Special Section)
A good day for Patricia, on several fronts:
TV Coverage : if you are reading this on Sunday evening or Monday morning (UK time) and have access to Motors TV which is running a daily update on the Rally ..... tune in at 23.30 tonight or 10.00 Monday - as the programme includes a special profile on Patricia (and her Dad).
Results : Today was very muddy and a most importantly a very difficult navigation day on the Special Section. Several riders got lost and some for 30 minutes or more. Patricia did not and gained 19th position on today's stage, out of the 55 bikes still in play. That moves her up to 31st overall in the General Classification.
Now is a good time to tell a little story, the motto of which is "think before you speak". During the preparations in St Petersburg one of the male riders (they are all male except Patricia!) came up to Patricia and asked what size her engine is. She told him and he replied "good, I'm in a different category which means I won't have to worry about having a girl in front of me". His race number was a few behind Patricia, so he started 10 mins behind her on the first day. Frustrated , he caught up with her and did a loopy overtaking manouevre, to establish his point about being "faster than girls". 15 minutes later, Patricia turned a bend and there he is in a heap on the floor, with his belongings spread around. He refused to let Patricia leave him for 5 minutes because his arm hurt so much (who's the girl now then !!?). Turns out he broke his collar-bone and exited the Rally on Day 1. It is fine to be competitive, but as they say "better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you might be an idiot, than open your mouth and prove it beyond doubt".
Back to today - the scenery was gorgeous apparently - rolling green hills, just "like Tele Tubby Land" said Patricia. Many people were struggling to keep upright in the thick mud. Simon got lost for 30km and Colin dropped his bike 10 times - sounds like attention to detail and selective pacing were key to the day (he said having never been on a motorbike in his life !!).
Patricia phoned me with 70km of Liaison to go, having just fallen asleep under a (parked) lorry, because she was so tired. She got to camp OK and has just woken up to start Day 5 - during the night, the local fireman had kindly hosed the mud off all the filthy bikes - sounds like the locals are supporting this Rally big-time. Day 4 also visited the home town of Kamaz trucks - many of which are in the Rally - so extra support and excitement was generated because of this.
The main worry at the moment remains the Assistance Van, which is still limping along - plans are afoot to fly some new shock absorbers out from the UK to arrive on rest day - but it seems a long time until rest day, so it is touch and go.
Tomorrow's update (ie today on the Rally) will report on progress as they leave Russia and enter Kazakhstan....the desert stage is looming closer.....
Your humble Correspondent.
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.30 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is alegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see.
Day 3 - June 14, Petrovsky to Yellabouga
Updates from David on Patricia's Rally progress
574 km (Special Section cancelled)
Following torrential rain on Day 2, yesterday's (Day 3) Special Section was cancelled due to a waterlogged route.
Therefore the main tasks of the day were to dry everything out, extract all vehicles from the Quagmire of the Petrovsky bivouac (with the help of locals and their tractors) and then get to last nights bivouac (574km) at Yellabouga.
News from Patricia is that she arrived safely at Yellabouga but she cut her hand when making lunch (!) and is now bandaged up - claiming she is more dangerous in the kitchen than on a bike (hmm...nice try!). She is tired, and will have lost another 2 hours sleep as the clocks moved forward again for them last night (heading East).
The most worrying news is however, that the assistance van is not healthy - the cooler needs refilling every 30kms (I don't thing this has anything to do with keeping beers cold) and the right rear suspension has gone (Russian roads taking their toll). Given there are only Kamaz trucks in Russia, getting spares for an Iveco is impossible. This could mean that the van cannot go further at some point - which would be an interesting challenge as it has all the bikes spares and Patricia's Dad/Mechanic on board. Fingers firmly crossed at this stage, that the van does not get worse.
Simon Pavey's wife, Linley is driving the van, an experienced off road motorcyclist herself, so I hope she can work out how to drive a van on two wheels as well?!
As I write this, Patricia will be well into Day 4 - a long day with a long Special Section, where navigation skills are key....
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.00 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is allegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see.
574 km (Special Section cancelled)
Following torrential rain on Day 2, yesterday's (Day 3) Special Section was cancelled due to a waterlogged route.
Therefore the main tasks of the day were to dry everything out, extract all vehicles from the Quagmire of the Petrovsky bivouac (with the help of locals and their tractors) and then get to last nights bivouac (574km) at Yellabouga.
News from Patricia is that she arrived safely at Yellabouga but she cut her hand when making lunch (!) and is now bandaged up - claiming she is more dangerous in the kitchen than on a bike (hmm...nice try!). She is tired, and will have lost another 2 hours sleep as the clocks moved forward again for them last night (heading East).
The most worrying news is however, that the assistance van is not healthy - the cooler needs refilling every 30kms (I don't thing this has anything to do with keeping beers cold) and the right rear suspension has gone (Russian roads taking their toll). Given there are only Kamaz trucks in Russia, getting spares for an Iveco is impossible. This could mean that the van cannot go further at some point - which would be an interesting challenge as it has all the bikes spares and Patricia's Dad/Mechanic on board. Fingers firmly crossed at this stage, that the van does not get worse.
Simon Pavey's wife, Linley is driving the van, an experienced off road motorcyclist herself, so I hope she can work out how to drive a van on two wheels as well?!
As I write this, Patricia will be well into Day 4 - a long day with a long Special Section, where navigation skills are key....
Reminders if you are glued to progress and want up to the minute news:
Motors TV is a good watch each night (21.00 GMT and 23.00 GMT) , repeated the next morning (10.00 GMT) , if you have access to it...
Online progress of each stage is allegedly going to be available on the www.transorientale.com website, although it is still not working from what I can see.
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