Turkish Dakar team starts long road
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Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 29, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - Turkish motorcycling duo of Kutlu Torunlar and Kemal Merkit traveled to Buenos Aires for the Dakar Rally, which will be organized in the South America for the first time.
After 30 years of constant Europe-to-Africa routes, the grueling two-week race, which gets underway Jan. 3, has been switched from Africa to the relative stability of Argentina and Chile after the 2008 edition was cancelled because of security fears.
The 2008 edition of the automobile, motorbike and truck was canceled Jan. 4, with less than a day to go to the race because of terror threats and the slaying of a French family in Mauritania blamed on al-Qaeda-linked militants.
After a successful performance in 2007 that took them to the podium last year in the 450 cc - with Torunlar finishing second and Merkit third in their category - the Jim Beam Turkish team is ready to pick up where they left off.
"We are proud of representing Turkey in a race that gathers sportspersons from 49 countries," said Kutlular. "We want to better our recent records and win in our categories. We hope to wave the Turkish flag at the end, that’s all we want."
Adaptation process
Although the team completed its preparations, they need time to adapt to the completely different track.
"The route is different this time. It starts in Buenos Aires and goes from Patagonia to continue in Chile," said Torunlar of the 9,574-kilometer track. But even though the track changes, the name, taken from the Senegalese capital city, stays the same. "The level of difficulty in all circumstances will stay the same," said Merkit. "A similar challenge to that in Africa will be experienced in South America."
Merkit said that across the rocks, the soil and the driest of desert conditions, 800 racers will try to do their best.
This year’s Dakar Rally will have 230 motorcycles, 30 ATVs, 188 automobiles and 82 trucks from four continents.
Rallying in the 450cc and 530cc categories, Turkish motorcyclists Kutlular and Merkit are aware that last year’s cancellation made everyone hungrier, and that will stiffen the competition. However, the first challenge will not be on soil. "There is that time difference and we have 20 hours of flight," said Torunlar, before departing. "It is going to be a long journey."
The 2008 edition of the automobile, motorbike and truck was canceled Jan. 4, with less than a day to go to the race because of terror threats and the slaying of a French family in Mauritania blamed on al-Qaeda-linked militants.
After a successful performance in 2007 that took them to the podium last year in the 450 cc - with Torunlar finishing second and Merkit third in their category - the Jim Beam Turkish team is ready to pick up where they left off.
"We are proud of representing Turkey in a race that gathers sportspersons from 49 countries," said Kutlular. "We want to better our recent records and win in our categories. We hope to wave the Turkish flag at the end, that’s all we want."
Adaptation process
Although the team completed its preparations, they need time to adapt to the completely different track.
"The route is different this time. It starts in Buenos Aires and goes from Patagonia to continue in Chile," said Torunlar of the 9,574-kilometer track. But even though the track changes, the name, taken from the Senegalese capital city, stays the same. "The level of difficulty in all circumstances will stay the same," said Merkit. "A similar challenge to that in Africa will be experienced in South America."
Merkit said that across the rocks, the soil and the driest of desert conditions, 800 racers will try to do their best.
This year’s Dakar Rally will have 230 motorcycles, 30 ATVs, 188 automobiles and 82 trucks from four continents.
Rallying in the 450cc and 530cc categories, Turkish motorcyclists Kutlular and Merkit are aware that last year’s cancellation made everyone hungrier, and that will stiffen the competition. However, the first challenge will not be on soil. "There is that time difference and we have 20 hours of flight," said Torunlar, before departing. "It is going to be a long journey."