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I saw the start of the Dakar in Buenos Aires in 2011, it's an amazing event, very sophisticated technology. I was staying there with a friend who regularly ran

I saw the start of the Dakar in Buenos Aires in 2011, it's an amazing event, very sophisticated technology. I was staying there with a friend who regularly ran ultra marathons - the marathon de Sable and other French events in Patagonia, China etc. He told me a story about Africa where the runners were stripped naked as they ran through a village - all their expensive lycra, camelbacks, shoes etc stolen by locals resentful of western sports tourists. The Dakar has a similar long history of expensive tech being stolen, held to ransom etc. https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/38650/that-time-ari-vatanen-lost-the-dakar-rally-because-his-peugeot-got-stolen-for-ransom https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/38650/that-time-ari-vat... Never underestimate the risks around exposing the western world to people in the third world. Millions love what they see, make money out of it etc but...

Bayart 5y ago
>The Dakar has a similar long history of expensive tech being stolen, held to ransom etc. It's not a « long history », it's a one time event, and one that very likely has nothing to do with the locals. The whole story around it is incredibly fishy, and a rally car isn't something you can just steal. It doesn't start or drive like a normal car, there's no key.
- ericcumbee 5y ago
  It's not rocket science starting a race car for the most part. you turn on the car's power system and then press the starter button.
  - Bayart 5y ago
    It's not just « a race car », it's a Group B car with a new body. It's one of the greatest cars in racing history. To start you at least need to action the general electric break, switch the electricity on, push another one or two buttons for pumps and then press the starter button. Depending on the temperature of both the engine and the surrounding environment, you might also need to change plugs for cold ones. And that's just to start, it can't be driven like a normal car. And that's the exact reason why the 405 T16 of Vatanen was found in a bush back in the days : whoever took it new enough to start it up but stalled eventually (which is one of the reasons leading everybody to think it was some mechanic who dun it). By the way, you can see Vatanen driving that car model in his legendary Pikes Peak Hill climb video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvXSXfL4XRc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvXSXfL4XRc
    - olivermarks 5y ago
      I love head rush videos, the isle of man TT on bike vids are wonderful too!
- PickledHotdog 5y ago
  Eh? "Bandits" are a well known risk in the "normal" running of the Paris Dakar through Africa - over and above event linked above

Bayart 5y ago

>The Dakar has a similar long history of expensive tech being stolen, held to ransom etc. It's not a « long history », it's a one time event, and one that very likely has nothing to do with the locals. The whole story around it is incredibly fishy, and a rally car isn't something you can just steal. It doesn't start or drive like a normal car, there's no key.

ericcumbee 5y ago
It's not rocket science starting a race car for the most part. you turn on the car's power system and then press the starter button.
- Bayart 5y ago
  It's not just « a race car », it's a Group B car with a new body. It's one of the greatest cars in racing history. To start you at least need to action the general electric break, switch the electricity on, push another one or two buttons for pumps and then press the starter button. Depending on the temperature of both the engine and the surrounding environment, you might also need to change plugs for cold ones. And that's just to start, it can't be driven like a normal car. And that's the exact reason why the 405 T16 of Vatanen was found in a bush back in the days : whoever took it new enough to start it up but stalled eventually (which is one of the reasons leading everybody to think it was some mechanic who dun it). By the way, you can see Vatanen driving that car model in his legendary Pikes Peak Hill climb video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvXSXfL4XRc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvXSXfL4XRc
  - olivermarks 5y ago
    I love head rush videos, the isle of man TT on bike vids are wonderful too!
PickledHotdog 5y ago
Eh? "Bandits" are a well known risk in the "normal" running of the Paris Dakar through Africa - over and above event linked above