Sponsored motorbiker Tina Meier (#100), unfortunately dropped out of the race on the second day. The morning of the same day Eurosport transmitted images from her helmet camera with her cheering and greeting her family. The same afternoon, just before finishing the special and having fought against the fesh fesh for all day (the finest sand, deadly for everyone) her bike gave up. It seems this was due to an elecrical problem. But Tina did not give up. She decided to change her role on the rally and joined another team supporting her friend Laurent Meffre (#170) as a mechanic, as as he did not anyone to support him. For the following days Tina would be reparing his bike at night and travel by day with the truck of the swedish army team. Yesterday evening at 22:00 I met her – surprise – on Laurent’s Bike. Laurent had dropperd off the race the day before and she did drive his bike across the andes from 8:00 (Copiapo) to 22:00 (La Rioja). I’m curious to hear her stories about the happenings in the last two days.

Sponsored drivers Annie Seel and Tina Meier in the plane on their way to Buenos Aires.

Annie Seel and Tina Meier were both on the same flight from Madrid. Both were very excited about the upcoming Rally Dakar 2009. They said they spent the last 3 days “sleeping all day” during Xmas. Today both drivers will have to find a way to reach the docks, which are about 100Km away from Buenos Aires in order to collect the motorbikes. “I thought I would be more nervous”, said Tina in the airplane… “…this is the easy part of the Race, where you just have to sit, wait and watch TV”. Jean will join me today at the Hotel, and tomorrow I will have to go through the scrutineering as press officer. SL