Rallyraidio

Another victim of the now-infamous Stage 3, Don Hatton calls from Santiago, Chile with a bit of insight as to how his rally went (or didn't).  We've followed Don from his first attempt at the Dakar, the canceled 2008 edition, through his hard crash last year, to a rally this year that started with his bike nearly burning in Parc Ferme and a missing time card on stage 1.  I hope your persistence is able to see you through in the long run, Don!  

If you've ever wondered what it would be like as a "regular guy" to enter Dakar, here's your reality check. Garry Connell rings in with a brutally honest look at what it's like.

Jonah Street calls from the bivouac after Stage 6 of the 2010 Dakar Rally.

Rally PanAm team manager Robb McElroy gives us an update on Jonah's rally.  Thanks, Robb!

Ludo Boinnard calls from the bivouac after a day that saw him presumably retired with mechanical problems.  Fortunately time heals all wounds, in this case even mechanical ones, and he was able to complete the stage!You'll remember this one forever, Ludo. We all will!

Craig Bounds calls in from the blustery bivouac after stage 3 -- a seemingly benign stage on paper that ended up being one of the most grueling in recent memory.  There is a lot of wind noise, but as you'll hear, one needs to wear goggles because of the blowing sand -- we shouldn't complain!Congrats on surviving the stage, Craig.  Keep it rolling.

Don Hatton calls in with two stories; the first, how he nearly had his bike burned in the Parc Ferme conflagration, and the second, of his Stage 1 trials which included forgetting his time card and very nearly being pitched from the Rally (twice!).  Enjoy!Hope things smooth out, Don!

Ludo Boinnard, racing in a team alongside David Casteu and Mike Pisano, gets our call ins kicked off before the ceremonial start in Buenos Aires.Bonne Chance, Ludo!

Part 2 of JennyMo's post-event wrap up. Splendid stuff, Jenny. Thanks for letting us ride "Inside the Helmet" on this year's Heroes.

A coffee-deprived JennyMo rings in from the Madrid airport at oh-dark-thirty with her post-event wrap up. Splendid stuff, Jenny. Thanks for letting us ride "Inside the Helmet" on this year's Heroes!

Incredible. If you've ever wondered what the Heroes Legend was really like, or thought that it might be a "tourist trip" along the old Dakar route, listen in and think again. "Mr. Yamaha" dropped in after Rallye Maroc and checked out the new generation Tenere. Wonder if we'll see some of the big boys at the Heroes next year...? Hope to hear from you at the Pink Lake tomorrow, Jenny!.

Safely through the no-man's land and across the border into Mauritania, Jenny rings in as they prepare to tackle the monster dune stages ahead. The Desert Rose riders are doing well, and as often goes for support crews during rallies, they've adopted some new hangers-on. Jenny's loving the Tenere and is finding it an excellent companion in the desert.

Jenny rings in from the Atlantic coast of Morocco, after having secured 3rd position on today's stage! Way to go, Jenny!

Jenny calls in before the start, 8 days into the rallye. Still in Morocco, they've a long way to go yet. I think she's got the knack of this call in thing -- what do you guys think?

Jenny rings in after a brutal day on the piste in Morocco. Mick has crashed out with a hard concussion, and is currently in hospital with injured vertebrae. Clive (Patsy's husband) cut his hand. Jenny lost rear wheel bearing at 60km/h and took the caliper bracket with it, which she thought would take her out of the rally but thank heavens for the service crew (who had their own troubles!). Hopefully the days ahead will be a bit more kind, as they're only about 1/4 through the event so far!

Jenny's rung in with her first call-in. The weather's thrown them a curveball thusfar, but the tone of her voice says she's having a grand time.

David Dickinson catches us up to speed as well as sharing a "day in the life" on the rallye. For those who wondered why he wasn't show on the starting list today, he explains that as well.Good luck tomorrow, David!

Cummo chats with ADV Inmate Rick Hatswell whose Dakar plans for this year are in dire jeopardy after breaking his leg on the Rallye yesterday. In fact, if you'd like, you can buy a ready-to-go package for El Dakaro in January... Rick sounds in better spirits than I'd expect to be...

Cummo tracks down Sherco pilot Philippe Jacquet to hear how development of the Sherco Rallye Bike is coming along. KTM 690 pilot Stephane Hamard also fills us in on his experiences thusfar.

Cummo on the phone with quad rider Lionel Laine, who is leading the Overall Cross-country rallye standings for the year.