Everyone seen this?

http://www.trailbikemag.com/2013/03/...spres-departs/

The Master in Yammy Racing Bleu � just imagine!!!

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The journey is the destination.

Can't see it. He'll be wearing red next year. Sure HRC have a lot of riders on the books, but there's not a single one they wouldn't dump for Despres.

Not sure how much Zanol's going to be rushing to get back onto a bike after that nasty pre-Dakar crash either.

Don't think Yamaha are sufficiently interested to pay what it would cost. Honda are.

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I spent a lot of money on travel and racing motorcycles - the rest I just squandered.

XT660Z - Commuter, Adventurer...Racer?

www.dashmoto.net

Other bikes >> MT-03 / CG125BR-J / ER-6F
Departed >> ZXR400L3 / EC300 / DR-Z400E / DR800S / GPZ500S / GS400

I totally agree but would still be good to see him on a yamaha or even Jennys old ten!!!

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Plough on

Squirrel could go for the money which is RED or go with the French revolution and be BLUE.

Either way big changes are ahead. I feel for the factory riders of both teams that will be looking over their shoulder wondering if they are going to replaced!!!!!

What if some one other than ktm win the Dakar! The ASO will have kittens

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Ride hard, Fall Softly. [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

I think they'll be very happy. The whole idea of the 450 limit was to get someone to step up and challenge KTM.

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I spent a lot of money on travel and racing motorcycles - the rest I just squandered.

XT660Z - Commuter, Adventurer...Racer?

www.dashmoto.net

Other bikes >> MT-03 / CG125BR-J / ER-6F
Departed >> ZXR400L3 / EC300 / DR-Z400E / DR800S / GPZ500S / GS400

The main reason for the change was the loss of life due to riders speed on the big bikes. The 690 had a lot of power and a 100mph+ top end. The rallye bikes were just too fast.

It has leveled the playing field for manufactures as all seem to have a 450 size bike.

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Ride hard, Fall Softly. [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

The first bit is the reason they gave (in practice, the top 450s aren't much slower).

The second bit is the actual reason. And it's succeeded.

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I spent a lot of money on travel and racing motorcycles - the rest I just squandered.

XT660Z - Commuter, Adventurer...Racer?

www.dashmoto.net

Other bikes >> MT-03 / CG125BR-J / ER-6F
Departed >> ZXR400L3 / EC300 / DR-Z400E / DR800S / GPZ500S / GS400

fwiw. I wouldn't be surprised if Cyril Despres hooked up with Yamaha, especially with the French team underpinning.

From a purely competitive point of view (of which we know CD most certainly is), he is one win away from matching fellow countryman Stephane Peterhansel's Dakar record of six wins on a bike - a Yamaha no less.

I can see Cyril wanting to match and beat that record, and what sweeter way than on a Yamaha too?

From a more practical point of view, Yamaha France have a long history of developing the WR (and latterly the YZF) based bikes, and Olivier Pain and David Casteu especially have proved the machine has the pace, and lets not forget that Helder Rodrigues put a WR on the Dakar podium when KTM were still racing 690s!

I think what has let Yamaha France down in the past has been budget, especially when compared to the might of the factory KTM team/s.

Without the money and the corresponding focus of the 'best' people available, the project has never been ultimately successful - certainly not when you are up against the might of the KTM factory.

But that could change if you bring in Cyril, his team associates, and not least his sponsors' money?

Personally I don't see the Honda thing happening with Cyril - not this year at any rate... there is too much to lose on either side with a still unproven machine.

I like the 'romantic' notion that Cyril will go all patriotic for his record matching and subsequently beating campaign over the next two years - on a Yamaha, with an all-French team.

It will also give him Carte Blanche with the ASO of course! "Technical infringements? what technical infringements?!" "Here, have my gloves Monsieur Despres!"

Jx

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"Where we're going, we don't need roads..."

JennyDakar.com