The 2004 Telefonica-Dakar Rally (you may know it is the Paris-Dakar Rally) is currently happening in Africa. One of the press releases from Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM profiles Japanese racer Yuki Tanaka.
Riding along was also a small woman with a great potential. Yuki Tanaka is the only woman on a motorbike who has made it so far. The 31-year-old Japanese woman participates for the first time at the Dakar rally. For the giant task she chose a KTM and also booked the support-package with the manufacturer from Mattighofen. If you watch Yuki, you can’t help but marvel about her. The woman is 1.60 meter tall, weighs 53 kg and just loves the challenge. For example, she took on the task to cross the desert on a KTM 660 Rally. "I like the desert and I love motorbikes," explains Yuki, who looks scarred and bruised from her crashes. "I suppose that has got to do with my job as a journalist for several motorcycle magazines."
The delicate KTM-rider collected first experiences in the desert in Dubai and Morocco. However, riding the Dakar rally is a whole new experience for her. And it also has its grim sides. Until noon today the Japanese was hoping to continue the rally after the rest day. "I’m missing a stamp from CP 2 from the stage on Friday," explains Yuki, "I hope the jury can accept that. It really was a brutal special after all. And I really want to go on. Overall I’m gratified with everything, my motorbike, my mechanic and with the support I receive from KTM. I can just hope and pray." Unfortunately, all hope was in vain. This afternoon the jury decided that Yuki Tanaka is cancelled from the race. As a small comfort she’s allowed to fly along to Dakar and to experience the end of the rally by the end of next week. At the moment the small Japanese woman is very disappointed.
Some impressive images of KTM riders in the 2004 race are here.
From what I've been told, Yuki behaved shamefully during the race. She and another rider were in a very bad way during one stage. They came upon another rider, Charlie Rauseo, who helped them along. In doing so, he exhausted himself and his battery. Yuki, ostensibly scouting ahead (she was now the only one with the GPS), blew them off and never came back! That just is not cool at all.
http://www.rallyconnex.com/tcqdakar2004rauseo.htm
Hi¡¡
In the year 2000, during Six International Days of Enduro in Granada, I was an attendee in Yuki Tanaka's career and since then a strong friendship joins us.
For circumstances of the life I have lost her e-mail address.
Might someone send her direction of e-mail to alvaro@motor-e.com??
Thank you ¡