Sponsored Driver Miran Stanovnik (#17, SVN) is doing really well at this dakar. Although he lost a couple of positions compared to the first 5 Stages, he still is in the top 25 bikers after the 7th stage of today.

Rally Dakar 2009, originally uploaded by dunerider70.

Dakar happens ones a year only. And it’s OK like this as life as a Charlie at the Dakar is not something anybody can stand for more than one month.A typical day for a Loctite Charlie (and for a press officer as myself) at the Rally Dakar 2009 starts early in the morning

7:00 am – wakeup and packing. The tent has to be disassembled. The Garbage disposed. Although it seems a simple task to do, the walksleeping state due to 3 hours of sleep,makes everything more difficult.

8:00 am – The bus to the airport is waiting. Together with the other (sleeping) colleagues from other teams, team managers and partners start their journey toward the (military) airport. Not a lot of talking is going on. Slowly we all wakeup.

9:00 am – For those who have not waken up, the Hercules C130 of the Argentinan Armed forces will do the rest. Demetrio, Jean and Celio describe this experience more dreadful than washing themselves the dirtiestand coldest shower they have found at the bivouac.

11:00 am – We land and a Bus transfers us to the Bivouac, which at this time of the day is almost empty. Nearly at the same time, the drivers have brought the Loctite truck by motowrway and piste to the bivouac.

12:00 pm – The Charlies start to work. The truck has to be positioned, the toolboxes unloaded. The generator to be started. While I am at the media Center looking for information and news, and finding out the position of the competitors we follow in the bivouac, the Charlies prepare the tent.

2:00 pm – The loctite service point is ready. Now there is time for a Lunch, assembling the tent and sleeping bag, a shower and a change of clothes before the first competitors start arriving

3:00 pm – We start working. Everybody has a task to do and the day gets busier and busier the more competitors arrive to the Bivouac. The first ones to arrive are the Motorbikers, and the most freuent reparations are plastic repairs. Falling at the Dakar is “normal” for bikers. That’s why many of them have kevlar or carbon fibre-reinforced fenders.

9:00 pm – Most of the competitors have arrived to the Bivouac. The Charlies are all busy working, and suggesting the use of products to whoever needs help.

1:00 am – Mostly at that time, thare are no more request of reparations. So we start reassembling all the toolboxes, tents, stands and working tools that need to be places in the truck. It takes about one hour.

2:00 am – The Charlies meet at the Bivouac’s Mensa, and have a beer together before they go to sleep. While the truck drivers wake up, start the Truck and begin their journey to the next bivouac.

2:30 am – The Charlies fall asleep instantly, without the need of any medicinal aid.

7:00 am – The hercules C130 is waiting for a new day…

This is the scenery we have found most of the times in the bivouacs until Jacobacci.

Rally Dakar 2009, originally uploaded by dunerider70.

The start of the special stage in Madryn a couple of days ago.

Rally Dakar 2009, originally uploaded by dunerider70.

Euromaster Truck, offering tire service to the competitors helped us out yesterday in San Rafael, when one wheel of our small quad had a flat tire. Most bivouacs are spread over a very large area, so our small Loctite quad is an indispensable vehicle when it comes to bringing back and forward pieces for reparations.

Rally Dakar 2009, originally uploaded by dunerider70.

Jean Gaborit accepting a piece for reparation yesterday night at 1:00am

Rally Dakar 2009, originally uploaded by dunerider70.

Celio at the Bivouac in San Rafael, repairing a Helmet.

Today’s leg is full of crossings. the special begins with 60 Km of the dunes who created many problems to the competitors yesterday. The organization has shortened the Special Stage by 100 Km, and the departure was postponed one hour, due to the fact that many competitors were stuck in the sand at Stage 6 and could not return to the bivouac. The trail becomes easier during the second part, but competitors have to face a lot of water, which might block many of them or guarantee for an extended bath. On arrival in Mendoza, the Rally will penetrate the foothills of the “Cordillera de Los Andes” mountain range.

The Charlies were transferred from San Rafael to the Bivouac in Mendoza by a C130 Hercules of the Argentinian Armed Forces. An experience they defined as dreadful as the cold showers we are allowed to use at the bivouac. Life as a Charlie is not as extrema as the one of racing competitors, but we get to touch by hand what it means to work at the limit.

Unfortunately both Daniel Vermeloux and Michel Delaye, Team Espace Moto sponsored by Loctite,  are both out of the race as of yesterday morning. For Daniel, what in the beginning seemed only to be a contusion resulted in a fracture. Also Michel after his accident yesterday was brought to the medical attention of the Dakar’s doctors in order to take x-rays. I have no sure information yet but Jean Gaborit mentioned, it might be a fracture for Daniel as well after speaking with him.