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Welcome to the Dakar Rally 2012 special newssection. To read an article just click on the specific headline below. All articles are visible for several years and under special subdomain [ COPY & CLICK HERE ] or use the SEARCH. |
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 | SA-Dakar Rally: Gordon after SS 10 - "The others can have a bad day too".
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Stage 10 was the last stage in Chile for the competitors, and it would prove to be a harsh one to Robby Gordon in the last 30km. Gordon started off the line in first, but he lost time early to the Minis of Nani Roma and Stephane Peterhansel.
After checkpoint 1, he was only 3 minutes back and had fought his way back by checkpoint 3, when he was only 30 seconds behind Peterhansel on the road. He was in third place, only 2 minutes behind. Gordon was poised to attack with the overall leader in his sight.
Unfortunate events would occur hindering his chances of repeating his stage win. Gordon would limp his Hummer across the finish line fourth after a big crash during the stage. For him only lose by 13 minutes is quite remarkable.
"About 30km from the finish, I was right on Peterhansel's tail and we were hitting the sentinel telling him we were there. After multiple times he wouldn't move over. We both missed a way point, and I tried my hardest to get around him" Gordon reported.
"When I got in his dust, we had a big crash. Should have rolled the thing, but it blew the rear wheel off the truck as well as hurt the A-arm and transmission. Being down nearly 20 minutes is a lot, but we won't let that stop us. We'll work through the night to get the car ready for tomorrow. Anything can happen...they can have a bad day too."
But Robby Gordon’s hopes of winning the Dakar 2012 took a major hit on Wednesday when stewards ruled that he should be thrown out of the event because his Hummer’s engine did not conform to race regulations. The stewards believe that Gordon’s modifying of the ventilation system linked to his engine improved its performance level - he denies that his tinkering had an impact on improving its speed and is basing his appeal on that.
2012/01/12 | 12:08 CET | ARTICLE: MR/SY/MCCABE/FRANCETV
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