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Jan 7, 2005, Day 8 of Dakar:

STAGE 8 (Photos by T. Flechsig)

I can confidently tell you that yesterday's Stage 7 was the most difficult day I have ever experienced riding a motorcycle. Throughout my 12-hour "marathon" ride, the sand blew, sideways, and blocked the sunlight like London fog. Among the highlights for me was sailing off a dune at speed and somehow managing to land it on both wheels before I cartwheeled over the front. The condition and visibility made occurences like mine commonplace throughout the field of rally competitors. Fortunately, my KTM - and my body! - survived the stunt unscathed.

This stage of the Dakar is famous for the endless camel grass. This stuff is very, very brutal to ride and navigate through. A single section of about 36-miles took Chris, Kellon and me over 2-hours to traverse. Today I'm bone tired and not completely unhappy with the fact that ASO, the official Dakar Rally organization, has been forced to suspend the Stage 8 special test and convert this to a liason stage. Our team was very fortunate to arrive at the bivouac last night about just after dark. However, by about 10 or 11pm, only 40 bikes had arrived and the only car to arrive was the Mitsubishi of Stephane Peterhansel. This meant that the entire field of riders and drivers were nowhere to be found. News of countless breakdowns and racers out of gas circulated the bivouac.

I'm making this call from Tidjikja after covering todays transfer stage from Tichit. During our ride today, Chris, Kellon and I met up with Dr. Jonathan Edwards and our beloved crew of mechanics. Joe Barker is still stuck back in Tichit but we hope he'll catch up with us sometime today or tonite. If all works well, a few photos will be posted with this report. Thanks to KTM and photographer Torsten Flechsig for the assistance.

That's it for now. I'm going to check my gear, work with the team and try to get prepped for the ride tomorrow. It's a gnarly one, for sure, but we'll do our best to keep the ball in play. Best wishes to all of you back in the States. -- Scot