I just completed the upload on my Flickr page of the ultimate photo set (200 images) taken during the Dakar 2012

Photos set is available here

“A challenge for those who go.
A dream for those who stay behind”
(Thierry Sabine)

Two weeks later, 14 special stages and 8000 kilometers further only 287 concurrents, over 469 in Mar del Plata, made it up to Lima and crossed the finish line of the Dakar 2012.

The Dakar edition 2012 is now over. Results have been published and do not differ from my previous post. Before publishing the photos of the concurrents on the Finish Podium in the “Plaza de Armas” in Lima, here comes a selection of the photos taken during the 13th stage which started in Nazca and ended in Pisco.

Photos were taken in the Nazca desert near Ica in the last part of this 275 kilometers special stage.

[[Show as slideshow]]

With only 29 kms of special stage on the way to Lima, today’s 275 km special between Nazca and Pisco was decisive. Leaders were definitively not the fastest as the strategy is of course to avoid any technical breakdown before the checkered flag. Nevertheless, the general ranking remained unchanged and without a last minute surprise during the last special and two liaisons the Dakar 2012 should celebrates in Lima the following winners:

Moto:

1. #2 Depres (FRA) – KTM
2. #1 Coma (SPA) – KTM
3. #3 Rodrigues (POR) – Yamaha

Quad:

1. #250 Patronelli (ARG) – Yamaha
2. #252 Patronelli (ARG) – Yamaha
3. #257 Maffei (ARG) – Yamaha

Auto:

1. #302 Peterhansel (FRA)/Cottret (FRA)  - Mini
2. #305 Roma (SPA)/Perin (FRA) – Mini
3. #301 De Villiers (ZAR)/Von Zitzewitz (GER) – Toyota

Truck:

1. #502 De Rooy (NDL)/Rodewald (NDL)/Colsoul (BEL) – Iveco
2. #505 Stacey (NDL)/Van Goor (NDL)/Der Kinderen (NDL) – Iveco
3. #533 Adravichius (KAZ)/Kuzmich (RUS)/Turlubaev (KAZ) – Kamaz

Photos of the 13th stage Nazca-Pisco will be published later this week.

Unless a last minute surprise tomorrow, Peterhansel’s green Mini should be the car of the top of the podium in Lima on Sunday.  With 2 other ones ? We will know more tomorrow after the 275km special stage between Nasca & Pisco.

For the motos, the battle will be fierce as Marc Coma is only 1.35 min ahead of Cyril Depres. In quad, it is not risky to say that a Patronelli will win the 2012 Dakar as both brothers have a confortable lead on the Maffei (3rd). Idem in trucks category. 2 Ivecos are leading with a comfortable 1h39 min advance on the first Kamaz.

One thing is totally sure, this 13th stage of the Dakar, which will start in few hours from now on, will be the ground of serious battles.

Wake up time 05h00 to be in place in due time.