Team GoKoBra stage 2 report

Fun in the mud
January 3, 2011

Van den Goorbergh en Koolen running warm

`We enjoyed playing in the mud today' tells Jurgen van den Goorbergh after the second stage in the Dakar Rally from Cordoba to Tucuman. The playing part referred mostly to the first 100 kms of the stage over twisty and slippery, caused by the rain, paths. After that things were tougher but nevertheless Van den Goorbergh was satisfied with the result. `In a corner doing aprox 40 kms/hr my buggy went straight left but I wanted to follow the road to the right and I went straight into a wall.' The ball joint was broken and that broke the brake lines too. Van den Goorbergh managed to replace the ball joint but fixing the brake lines was a different thing. `Riding the slippery surface with only rear brakes was tough. But fun in a way too. It was drifting to the max; turning the disadvantage into an advantage. Maybe it was best I had to take things easier from that point on as I might have otherwise run into the same problems as many others I did see along the route. So many I have seen alongside the road or upside down.'

Kees Koolen suffered from the first heavy rain shower even before the start making the already slippery tracks even more slippery. `But that is no problem for the GoKoBra buggy. We are much lighter than the other cars and more flexible so the slippery roads as somewhat to our advantage.' After 50 kms into the stage Koolen hit the dust of the other competitors and the clutch started playing up. After another 30 ksm the clutch stopped working at all and one of the brake discs showed a problem. ` I managed to continue but had to be cautious. Besides, the tracks and circumstances did not allow for any fast riding anyway. The last part of the special I had more heavy rain showers and a ditch, dry according to the roadbook, was full of water. I went in `till my nose. An experience.'

The third stage, from Tucuman to Jujuy, has a special in two parts, with a total of 500 kilometers. The total length of the stage is 731 kilometer.

-source: team gokubra