The fourth day finally brought what you can expect from the Dakar. A technical, challenging special which had everything to offer. Navigation was tricky from time to time. Faultless navigation got you further than riding at a high pace. Even the top riders regularly made mistakes; already there have been many changes in the top ten. Spaniard Marc Coma kept his coolness, and won the stage. He remains in the lead comfortably.
Three days are behind us, and the competitors had the chance to get into their rhythm. Slowly everybody’s riding in the position where they should be riding. Until now the stages were fast and technically not so difficult. The big 690’s were the ones to profit most of the fast stretches, the lighter 450’s haven’t been in the picture that much, although Frenchmen Fretigne is doing very well with a second place overall on a Yamaha 450. Also today, 350 km. out of the 550 km long special could be ridden with the throttle full open. Kees Koolen (99th in the special, 72nd overall): ,,It’s frustrating; the bikes you don’t see in the technical stuff are flying by just as easy moments later. It was a nice day, although I rode badly. Mainly thanks to my wrist, which is quite painful at the moment. Tonight we’ll have a look together with Wolter (the team’s physiotherapist) to see if I should be wearing a brace tomorrow. I missed a speeding zone, I was doing 79 instead of 50. It’s going to cost me.”
The first stage of the Dakar 2009 caused a lot of commotion. And already the first competitors are out of the rally. Amongst them unfortunately also team member Ebert Dollevoet. A dislocated shoulder meant an early retirement from his Dakar. The organization had already announced it, the stage of today was going to be very fast. And indeed it was: a highest average of 133 kilometers per hour in the bikes and 142 kilometers in the cars was measured!
Lo splendido sole che in questi giorni dell’Immacolata Concezione illumina Mantova è servito ad asciugare la pista e a creare condizioni ideali per i numerosi team e piloti impegnati nei test inverbali in vista dell’apertura stagionale in programma al Tazio Nuvolari il 7 e 8 febbraio 2009 con il 26°Mantova Starcross.
Cairoli, Yamaha, KTM, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda]
MANTOVA 8 NOV. 2008 – La gara di moto più bella dell’anno, che tradizionalmente apre il calendario delle competizioni è stata presentata ieri a Milano all’interno dello stand AIROH, leader nella produzione di caschi per l’off road. Il 26° AIROH Mantova Starcross si svolgerà nel week end del 7 e 8 febbraio 2009 e sarà il primo vero confronto motociclistico dell’anno. Il parco partenti è di livello stratosferico, hanno già confermato la loro presenza le stelle italiane del motocross, Davide Philippaerts e Antonio Cairoli che per la prima volta si sfideranno a viso aperto nella classe MX1. I team Monster Yamaha Rinaldi e Red Bull Yamaha De Carli saranno al gran completo con gli assi Joshua Coppins, Tanel Leok e il giovane Alessandro Lupino. Anche KTM Racing ha già dato la propria adesione con tutta la formazione ufficiale composta da Rattray , Nagl, Simpson , Goncalves e il fuoriclasse del Silver Action Barragan. Per Suzuki Racing i confermati Steve Ramon e Ken de Dycker, più le formazioni Honda e Kawasaki. Attese anche le squadre italiane Aprilia, Husqvarna con l’azzurro Salvini e TM.
Per la bellissima Honda CB 1000 R, Exan propone lo scarico Carbon Cap nelle forma sia ovale, sia conica. Nella forma ovale lo scarico è disponibile nei materiali Acciaio Inox, Titanio, Carbonio e Acciaio Inox satinato Nero (serie Black Line). mentre la forma conica può essere acquistata nei materiali Acciaio Inox e Acciaio Inox satinato nero. I prezzi sono i seguenti: