Dark times for the Dakar

Official Dakar Rally site It's been a hard week for the Dakar. 2 deaths on the rally and a couple more amongst followers of it in a road crash. When you go watch motor racing your ticket reminds you it's dangerous but as a fan i can't help but be affected by these guys doing what they love and ending it all because of it.

I heard an otherwise inspired interview on Eurosport a few nights back and because of a death of another top rider late last year the interviewer asked if there might be a reason for the apparent increased risk. The not-particularly inspired reply was "too much speed" - no kidding - but then this got me thinking. When I was a kid growing up watching motor racing i remembered the Dakar as a marathon on awful terrain, and now more and more I'm getting the feeling it's turning into a series of higher speed special stages - with the result that the guys are going much faster.

No disrespect to the likes of Colin McRae but if the tarmac and gravel rally boys can come over and win stages first time out (ok - this was Colin's second crack but he won some last year too) but they never used to then could it be that something has changed. In attempt to make it safer by making the stages easier they might have introduced the speed that is causing the accidents.

I'm no expert on Rally Raid but I cant help thinking that the sport has changed - and maybe it needs to go back.