January 5 - Hurry up and wait...

Or in fact, the other way round... after all the waiting, finally a hectic day, spent almost entirely within the confines of the Press Office, making the first of our programmes.

So, here's the way this works... In the 26-minute programme we took a look at the Car, Bike and truck categories, with interviews from the major players, plus some quirky little stories (yes, the 2CV made it - the French editors loved it too...)

Trouble is, not all the interesting people went through on Wednesday and Thursday. We were schedlued to voice the programme at 4pm today, with interviews still to be done after lunch... In the end, it all happened at about 5.30

Writing my script with numerous interviews hurriedly translated by the multi-lingual Alessandro (normally from Eurosport but here, like me, an ASO bod...) took all afternoon.

Sadly, that meant that today's visit from friend, local resident and Le Mans racer Bobby Verdon-Roe was only briefly in my schedule. We spent an enjoyable hour or so checking out the cars, bikes and everything in Scrutineering. Even for a racer used to the long process buuilding up to Le Mans, he was surprised by the sheer scale of it all - as I have been, just seeing it all grinding into place.

He was most impressed to learn that a full Dakar assault in a British-built Bowler (Land Rover-based but highly modified devices with V8 power) could be done for around £150,000. That probably makes a Le Mans Series campaign look like chicken feed, for the kind of mileage even F1 drivers don't rack up in an ENTIRE SEASON !

Even as we were mulling all that over, he received a text from another pal, Jamie Campbell-Walker, asking him what hews he had... At that stage I had to take my leave - but I'd love to think that something might yet ferment between the two former Lister drivers...

BVR and JCW in a Bowler for 2008? Great fun. After all, their long-time partner-in-crime Tom Coronel is palnning to enter next year, sharing with partner Paulien Zwart. Tom's twin brother Tim (the good-looking one, apparently) is here this time, in a Bowler run by a Dutch team, driving with his girlfriend Gaby Uljee...

After arriving back at base at 10pm last night, we stumbled into the hotel restaurant and partook of their supper buffet (again, majoring on the fishy-wishies) and then a pleasant surprise. TV director Christophe had arrived from Paris in the morning and he told the two editors and myself that we didn't have to leave until 9am. Result! More precious sleep...

Tonight we're beginning the Dakar experience proper though... checking out and packing everything, ready for a 7.30 getaway, as the first pictures from the opening stage will begin arriving in our temporary office (wherever it may be - someone will know, I'm not even asking) at around 11am... and then the madness begins.

Today's leisurely run-in turned into a last-minute panic as they were adding stuff with one hand while cutting out bits with the other... In the end, I saw most of the images for the first time as I voiced it. having not spoken into a microphone since December 22nd, I was a little rusty and couldn't speak. My Dakar teeth obviously don't fit properly yet...

Hopefully, tomorrow, though similar, will be slightly less fretful, as there will be something to talk about, in terms of a day's stage result, positions etc, instead of all the background I've had to try and dredge up for today's show.

Hopefully...

Haven't taken any pics today, but here's something from Lisbon to tide you all over.

More tomorrow - if there's time / internet (who knows on either count?)

And again, thanks for all the good wishes and support.