Garry chats with Welshman Craig Bounds following Stage 8.  Boundsey is riding well, despite a major off that fractured his sternum only weeks before the event.  Hardcore.

Annie Seel calls in mid way through what has to be the toughest rally of her life.  Bruised and battered, she continues on despite having shattered her helmet chinbar and breaking her nose.

Is the South American Dakar tough?  You better believe it.

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Fear not, calls are still being captured.


Thanks,
Nate

Garry has a great chat with Thomas Berglund, riding his second Dakar with the Sweedish Army team. ARMY. Not bikini. But anyway -- Thomas fills us in on his race to date, including overshooting a corner and ending up several hundred meters off piste... Other than that, going quite well, and hoping for a finish inside the top 15.



Good luck, Thomas. Hope to hear from you again.

Garry chats with Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues, multi-stage winner in previous Dakar's, who voices perhaps the first leanings toward Africa that I've heard yet thusfar.


Great to hear from you, Helder.  Good luck on the rest of the Rally! (And what kind of fairing is that on your KTM?  Hmm?)

Garry gets Pal Anders on the phone after stage 8. The call is dropped, unfortunately, but it's an honor to hear from the Man in Green -- long, LONG, flying the flag for privateers on the Rallye circuit.


Good luck, Pal Anders! Hope to hear from you again, and hope you finally get that podium finish you've been working for.

Garry interviews David after the rest day. Steady as she goes for David, who finds himself transitioning from an "attack" mentality, to a "bring it home safely" approach.  Sounds pretty damn prudent given the attrition of late.

Don Hatton calls in after escaping from the hospital following his stage 4 crash and medivac. So good to hear from you, Don. You had us all worried there for a while.


Don, it's been a privilege to follow your maturation as a rallye rider. THANK YOU for allowing us to ride over your shoulder, across the world. We hope to hear more about your days before your crash, living the dream we all share.

Mend well. Mend completely. Dakar 2010.

Garry calls in from the streets of Valparaiso on the (so called) "rest" day. The service crews have had a busy day, including motor changes for both Jonah and David (who has put impressive mileage on the 690 including multiple rallies). Better safe than sorry. This does put an end to the marathon class, however.


A great look at what goes on in the service camp. Thanks, Garry!

For those of you who've seen Race to Dakar, listening to Simon Pavey chat with Garry will be like listening to an old friend regale you with tales at the local pub. I can see his easy going, ear-to-ear grin right now.


Thanks for talking with us, Simon. Hope to hear from you again! Enjoy the rest day.