Zero assistance, timed “coupon”, only support among the competitors, it is clear that one of the basic rules of the Marathon Stage is to arrive at the first half with the bike in order. Then everything can be remedied, but sometimes…
January 12, 2023
Empty Quarter MarathonJanuary 12. What happens to the Bivouac of the Marathon Stage? Usually you can’t wait to leave. At the bivouac, isolated and inaccessible to anyone who is not a competitor, there are only the pilots. There are exceptions, mainly related to aspects of logistics, sports and medical management, but not much. The control regime is rigid, transgressions are punished in an exemplary way. These bivouacs are also often a little sad, desolate. After all, the days of living with the mechanics and the luxuries crammed into trucks and in the assistants support means create precious, warm evening atmosphere. Nothing unites more than a plate of pasta and a glass of… oops, shouldn’t say. Nothing cheers more at the end of a day that is almost always hard, difficult. The Empty Quarter Marathon bivouac is the original of the program, the semi Marathon in Al Duwadimi was a “creation” to fix a crisis situation, the Motorcyclists arrived there on transfer and in any case an area and a service time. In that case the desolation of bad weather transformed the catering marquee into a Hotel Brancaleone and someone even managed to have a laugh in that hodgepodge of grotesque emergency situations.
At Empty Quarter the situation is different. Meanwhile, the context of the land is characteristic and the large order helps to simplify. Then the competitors arrived early, they found the personal belongings transported by the organizers, mat, tent, sleeping bagsand have had plenty of time to make their own coupons or to help each other to solve any problem. Remember that time Price had to sew up zip ties and strings what was left of tire and mousse? No, this year no one should have blamed tire problems, however punched in Shaybah, and the impacts couldn’t have been crucial, it was a sand special and the temperatures were never too high. So the work is limited to some checks programmed and spares levers, pads, an injector. A big team can spread a few more pieces among its men, but certainly never a mudguard or a handlebar. The crux of the Marathon formula is the access of T5 trucks, who are really in the race and… really assistance. Or they would be the Trojan horse ideal for a marathon. Don’t worry, their range is drastically limited by a simple rule, the time each competitor can devote to maintenance: mezz’ora per i RallyGP, an hour for the others! If everything is so well organised, why can’t you wait to leave? For that pasta with friends of the following evening.
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