si o echipa romaneasca participanta la competitie. unul dintre participanti este un francez ce si-a luat cetatenie romana iar celalalt timisoareanul Romeo Dunca.

din toata povestea, cel mai frustrant e ca romanul comentator pe eurosport nu a mentionat nimic despre aceasta participare, desi la accidentul lui F Vuillet se vedea tricolorul romanesc afisat cit toate zilele pe combinezonul acestuia

in fine, ii tin pumnii timisoreanului care s-a descurcat onorabil pina acum, data fiind experienta lui si anvergura competitiei

desi cam la limita al nostru mai avea sanse sa continue. sper sa ramina
se pare ca furtunile de nisip au incurcat tot ce se putea incurca anul asta in materie de organizare

Raliul a mai facut o victima in persoana italianului Fabrizio Meoni, dublu castigator aici in 2001 si 2002. Iata reportajul celor de la eurosport.com

Meoni crashed on the shortened 400km leg between Atar and Kiffa in Mauritania.

The incident occurred nine minutes after refuelling, at 185km, a point marked on the map with one danger exclamation mark because of its undulations.

Yamaha rider David Fretigne found Meoni and let off his distress beacon, sounding the call for medical help.

Race director Etienne Lavigne said: "He fell after checkpoint one at 10:15 (local time, 11:15CET). We sent a helicopter, which arrived at 10:36. His heart had stopped when we found him. Unfortunately, 45 minutes of resuscitation could not restart it."

He added: "We loved him deeply, it was someone who had had a big impact on the Dakar. He was a great guy, who loved a laugh. We're deeply saddened by this news.

His body was flown back to the race bivouac in Atar.

Meoni - who becomes the 22nd person to be killed in the race's 27-year history - had announced at the start line in Barcelona that this, his 13th Dakar, would be his last.

He leaves behind a wife, Elena, and two children, Gioele and Chiara, aged 14 and two.

His Gauloises KTM team may now pull out of the event, removing overall leader Cyril Despres from the running. Despres was a protégé of both Meoni and the late Richard Sainct.

Meoni's death comes only a day after moto amateur Manuel Perez died in a Spanish hospital following a fall on Stage 7, also in Mauritania.

"This shows the ugly side of the race. The Dakar rally is fascinating, it's part of our passion, but there are certain things you wish would never happen," Italian newspaper La Repubblica quoted Meoni as saying after Perez' death.

He is the second Dakar great to die in the last four months. Richard Sainct lost his life after crashing in the Pharaoh Rally in Egypt on September 29th 2004.

The pair were considered the finest riders of their generation. As well as his two Dakar wins, Meoni triumphed five times in the Pharaoh Rally between 1996 and 2001, four times in Tunisia, once in the Inca Rally and was all-terrain world champion in 2000.

Chiar la pranz vedeam reportajul .... e trist tare si cum deja a precizat aramis (eurosport) omul dorea sa se retraga dupa cursa asta.
Dumnezeu sa-l ierte.

am vazut un reportaj despre Dunca azi. tipul a fost extrem de motivat. a ajuns foarte departe, si desi este undeva in spate - in clasament mi se pare extraordinara performanta lui

gata. s-a terminat. a terminat si romanul nostru. bravo lui. super performanta.
din cite am auzit am mai avut un participant anul acesta, tot independent, dar la motociclete. despre el nu a vorbit nimeni in timpul competitiei. mai stie cineva ceva despre asta ?

celalalt purtator de stindard romanesc este de fapt un francez... prieten cu Romeo. fratele francezului a participat sub steagul frantei. ambii au renuntat mult inainte de finish