Annie finished 54th in the Dakar 2002

Finally the finish line !
Absolutely fantastic to be at the Lac Rose in Dakar and roll over the ramp. I finished 54th overall out of 175 starters, but we were only 59 that made it all the way. Some of the riders told me this was one of the hardest Dakars in the recent years.
Really I shouldn't have reached the finishline in this my first Dakar. Many things were making life hard for me during the rally: my fractured(!) right hand and bruised blue bottom, the burnt clutch and all the night riding trying to catch up... But I'm so happy I made it - It's been a hard first Dakar.
The last week was hell, as you might have guessed, you've got the reports. (Thanks for cheering me on.)
It started on stage 4 with the crash where I broke my hand and bruised my bottom badly. Then the night riding, the burnt clutch, and then it just continued. I just couldn't get back into rythm. Another night section where I kept falling because my headlight pointed wrong due to an earlier off. Came in 1.30 in the night after a 400 km stage, slept an hour, then another 400 + 150 + 400 km... Added up to about 36 hours in the saddle.
Thanks to the Swedish carteam Rosenblad/Roos for the support, we've met a couple of times out there whit various problems. You've been wonderful - I'll always remember our struggle in the desert. Our Dakar-story contains more than many others!

Big thanks to my main sponsors Moto Aventures and Fujitsu Siemens Computers. Without you this would have been impossible.

Thanks to co-sponsors Exmentis, Happy Industries, O.Ohlsson racing and Suzuki, and also the service team Challenge75 for excellent service.

Read the Dakar diary and see the picture gallery. Official results.

About Annie

Swedish Annie Seel is going for her first Dakar
"Main thing is to reach the finish line. No matter what."

Quoted by Annie Seel at her first World Cup Rally, the UAE Desert Challenge in Dubai, November 2000. She completed the last day of the race, riding her motorcycle with a fractured ankle, and finished on a sensational 49th place among the 109 starting competitors!

In the Tunisia Rally 2001, Annie did it again – now she fractured her right wrist. But it did not stop her this time either. She struggled to the end and finished 39th overall.
This heroic achievement immediately got her the nickname Annie S(t)eel...

You could say Annie is one of the most widely experienced "bikerbabes" in the world, having competed in roadracing, motocross, enduro and rally - and in 2000 she actually raced in all diciplines during one season. Not many have done that!
She is also guiding offroad tours in Andorra and Morocco for Moto Aventures to get the mileage and navigation experience. In Sweden she is training motocross and enduro.

After more than 10 years of competing she is still going for new challenges, as
long as it has two wheels and goes fast!

QUICK RESUME
1984: First Motorcycle
1987: Coast-to-Coast Roadrace – 1.000 km on a 250cc 2-stroke
1988: Roadracing debut – chasing the fellow competitors on a tiger striped bike
1989: First Roadracing victory
1990: 8th 125cc Roadracing Nat. Championships – only woman in the championship
1990: 8th 125cc Roadracing Scandinavian Championships – last round
1995: 6th International Swedish 4-Day Enduro, class: Moto +175 kg
1996: 6th Enduroclassics, ladies: 3 different events
1997: 5th National Championships Enduro for ladies
1997: 1st Cannonbike Invitational Race in Estonia – 1.000 km in one day on a 125cc
1998: Motocross freeriding in California – known as Crazy Swedish Girl
2000: 6th National Championships Roadracing Sidecar, round 1 – passenger
2000: 3rd 2-hour National Enduro, ladies class
2000: 4th International Swedish 4-Day Enduro, ladies class
2000: 8th National Championships Motocross for ladies
2000: 49th World Cup Rally Dubai – raced last day with fractured left foot! Report
2001: 39th World Cup Rally Tunisia – raced last day with fractured right wrist! Report
2001: 3rd 1,5-hour Ladies Enduro
2001: 1st Local Grassfield race - ladies class
2002: 54th Dakar Rally (1st 400cc Production) – fractured right hand & bruised bottom. Dakar diary

INJURIES
17 fractures
1 ruptured knee ligament
innumerable bruises etc...

The Dakar 2002 Bike

Annie rode a standard Moto Aventures Honda XR400 (click for bigger image).
She won the 400cc production class.
Modifications are restricted in the production class.
Engine, gearbox, frame and lights are standard.
Parts for sale !

Modifications:
Fueltanks, front 26 liter, rear 9 liter + vacuum pump system.
Bashplate/watertank 3 liter with toolbox.
Öhlins rear suspension, Öhlins front springs.
Leather seat, dust light, high wind screen, ProTaper handlebars and foamgrips.

Equipment:
ICO tripmaster, MD Roadbook, Rally GPS and Distress Beacon.

Weight: 170-175 kg with fuel.

The official route of Dakar 2002

STAGE		DESCRIPTION
STAGE 1: ARRAS-CHATEAUROUX Friday 28/12 2001, start: 20h00 Liaison : 465 km Total : 465 km		The start is given for the first time in the evening. The competitors leave the Parc Fermé, situated on the Grand Place, in the centre of Arras. The starting podium is set up at the Place des Héros. From 20h00 onwards the first of the bikes will set off in a Southwards direction, heading for Châteauroux for the first bivouac. The podium in Châteauroux is situated at the Belle-Isle Site. The stage, in the night, is a liaison.
STAGE 2: CHATEAUROUX-NARBONNE Saturday 29/12 2001 Liaison : 82 km Special : 6 km Liaison : 510 km Total : 598 km		Whilst the last of the competitors are still arriving in Châteauroux in the early hours of the morning, the first of the bikes prepare to set off for the second stage. A short special of 6 km is traced out in the Croisière Activity Parc, in La Souterraine. From there, the competitors move towards Narbonne, passing through Brive-la-Gaillarde where a Passage Control is organised.
STAGE 3: NARBONNE-MADRID Sunday 30/12 2001 Liaison : 25 km Special : 35 km Liaison : 870 km Total : 930 km		Start from the podium, situated in the town centre, opposite the theatre, at 8h00 for the first bikes. From there, competitors will arrive in Château-Lastours, for a special of 35 km, traced out over winding routes, between vines and scrub land. They continue with a long liaison stage until Madrid.
STAGE 4: MADRID-RABAT Monday 31/12 2001 Liaison : 5 km Special : 6 km Liaison : 950 km Total : 961 km		The special will take place near to the Spanish capital. At the end of this, the competitors continue on a long liaison stage which leads them right into the South of Spain. From there, they board the boat to Morocco. Another liaison stage for their arrival in Rabat, first stage town in Morocco. New Year’s Eve at the bivouac in Rabat.
STAGE 5: RABAT-ER RACHIDIA Tuesday 1/1 2002 Liaison : 10 km Special : 80 km Liaison : 444 km Total : 534 km		After a festive evening in Rabat, a must for New Year’s Eve (!), the competitors set off on a first special, short and original, which alternates between smooth running parts, rapid with navigating zones and more winding and sandy parts. It is essentially traced out in a forest area, amid cork trees, eucalyptus and pine trees.
STAGE 6: ER RACHIDIA-OUARZAZATE Wednesday 2/1 2002 Liaison : 56 km Special : 338 km Liaison : 182 km Total : 576 km		The track, rapid, stony, at times “jumpy” then smoother leads the competitors towards the sandy and deserted zones of the South. We see the apparition of the first ‘dunes’ and the crossing of Ergs with, in particular, the mythical Chebbi Erg, in Merzouga, the highest dunes in Morocco. Further South, the special digs deeper into valleys which wind around the oueds, on large plateaus closed in between the mountains.
STAGE 7: First Marathon Stage OUARZAZATE-TAN-TAN Thursday 3/1 - Friday 4/1 2002 Liaison : 176 km Special : 351 km Liaison : 266 km [break 6 of hours] TAN-TAN-ZOUERAT Liaison : 365 km Special : 371 km Liaison : 16 km Total : 1 545 km		First of the two “Marathon” stages! From Ouarzazate, the competitors set off on a liaison stage then continue on the first special which leads them to Tan-Tan. There, a compulsory “break” of 6 hours is organised before continuing the liaison. A new “break”, is respected (they can have something to eat)… then they set off on the second special of this “Marathon” stage (start, in Mauritania, in the early morning). The first third of the special is winding and sandy then becomes very rapid. As a whole, it remains relatively smooth running. * Parallel route for assistance vehicles, to Tan-Tan.
STAGE 8: ZOUERAT-ATAR Saturday 5/1 2002 Liaison : 9 km Special : 383 km Liaison : 4 km Total : 396 km		Last stage before the rest day. The special is relatively short, but is the first real Erg crossing stage. It is traced out off the tracks, in the middle of Erg “fields” which are closer and closer together… until the culminating point: the crossing of the Erg de El Beyyed. After this, the special becomes more smooth running, on sandy and “rapid” tracks.
REST DAY Rest day in ATAR Sunday 6/1 2002 Service		Service bike & equipment, eat and sleep.
STAGE 9: Loop ATAR-ATAR Monday 7/1 2002 Liaison : 33 km Special : 366 km Liaison : 5 km Total : 404 km		Loop stage around Atar. After the first 100 kilometres traced out over existing tracks, the special is very varied and totally new. On the programme : the crossing of Ergs, passes to be found, lots of navigation, off track,… and a little camel grass! * Assistance vehicles remain at the bivouac.
STAGE 10: ATAR-TIDJIKJA Tuesday 8/1 2002 Liaison : 33 km Special : 467 km Liaison : 2 km Total : 502 km		It is one of the hardest stages and one of the longest specials in the 2002 edition. The first 100 kilometres take place in a magnificent setting, in a canyon, along a Oued, with the sea of sand that touches the edge of the cliffs. The rest of the stage includes numerous navigating difficulties and lots of Erg crossing. It takes place off track in the middle of the dunes with trunks of camel grass. The stage finishes on winding but relatively rapid tracks up to Tidjikja. Be careful of fuel consumption.
STAGE 11: TIDJIKJA-TICHIT Wednesday 9/1 2002 Liaison : 18 km Special : 520 km Total : 538 km		One of the most beautiful stages, very complete : stony tracks, crossings, off track, navigating, camel grass, i.e. a compressed version of all that can be found on a stage. A magnificent but hard stage which starts with a winding 100 km, over stony tracks, along the mountains. Then a change of direction and profile : the crossing, on the way down, of the Nega pass and of deserted zones, sandy up until Tichit.
STAGE 12: Loop TICHIT-TICHIT Thursday 10/1 2002 Special : 450 km Total : 450 km		Second loop stage. The special is traced out like an Olympic sailing race, the CP’s replacing the buoys. It takes place to the North of Tichit. After 80 “known” kilometres, the 370 remaining km are totally new ! The emphasis is on navigating skills, the special taking place for the most part completely off track, in the dunes. * Assistance vehicles stay at the bivouac.
STAGE 13: Second Marathon Stage TICHIT-KIFFA Friday 11/1 - Saturday 12/1 2002 Special : 457 km Liaison : 4 km [break 6 hours] KIFFA-DAKAR Liaison : 450 km Special : 165 km Liaison : 396 km Total : 1 472 km		Second Marathon stage. From Tichit, the competitors set off directly on the special up to Kiffa. There, a compulsory 6 hour “break” is organised before continuing on liaison, by night, up to Boutilimit. Another “break” is respected before attacking the second special. Liaison stage of 396 km with an arrival in Dakar. This second Marathon stage is long and difficult. As you get to the end, anything can still happen. The special between Tichit and Kiffa is traced out off track, in the middle of the big dunes. There are a few camel grass passages. The liaison between Kiffa and Boutilimit is traced out on tarmac. Be careful, there are 200 km in bad condition. The second special of the stage is a very beautiful driving special. The main difficulty is the presence of numerous parallel tracks : it’s not easy to find reliable bearings.
STAGE 14: DAKAR-DAKAR Sunday 13/1 2002 Liaison : 38 km Special : 31 km Total : 69 km		Last loop stage around the Lac Rose. The competitors move up the beach in a Northerly direction before starting on the traditional tour of the Lac. After the finishing podium, the competitors arrive at the Méridien in Dakar in procession. Parc Fermé at the Méridien. Prize giving, in the evening, in the gardens of the Méridien.
9.436 km in total