Paris Dakar takes to the air....

[Eric Sheley <eric@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Safety concerns in Niger cause change in route, requiring massive airlift 
campaign.

checkout http://www.dakar.com

- - Eric


STAGE CANCELLED

1st Rest Day (Niamey)

THE COMPETITORS WAIT FOR THE AIRLIFT TO BEGIN

Today, on the forced rest day, the competitors on the Total-Dakar-Cairo 
2000 relaxed and prepared their machines ready to fit the spare parts that 
will arrive this evening at Niamey. The first of the three Antonovs, that 
will begin the airlift to Libya so that the race can restart on Monday 17 
January, will arrive shortly after.
<snip>
Hubert Auriol confirmed yesterday afternoon the challenge - to take some 
336 vehicles and 1365 people from Niamey to Sabah in Libya in time to 
restart the rallye on Monday 17 January. And despite the enormity of the 
task, nobody doubts that he and his team are capable of pulling off the 
feat. At the general briefing last night his announcement to achieve the 
impossible was greeted with enthusiastic applause by the assembled 
competitors. A sign that today on the Dakar caravan there is a real family 
spirit, focused on one sole objective - to restart the rallye and finish in 
Cairo.
<snip>
The rallye caravan is now waiting for 18.30 GMT for the arrival of one of 
the symbols of the operation to rescue the rallye by means of an airlift - 
the first of the three Antonov 124s. A monster of a plane, 70 metres long 
and with a 73 metre wing span, a take off weight of 250 tonnes and a cargo 
carrying capacity of 105 tonnes, it is one of the keys to the operation to 
restart the Dakar from Sabah at the beginning of next week.

Even the confirmation, announced this afternoon, of the reality of the 
danger to the rallye, if it had continued its route across Niger, did not 
disrupt the serenity that reigns in the bivouac. The disappointment of not 
being able to traverse this magnificent country however remains. A sadness 
only made greater by seeing the disappointment of the Nigerians, finally 
the first and innocent victims of the situation.


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