N° 081 - TEAM GASGAS DESERT TEAM / MEMO TOUR
- VERSTEGEN
- Rob
- NLD
- 07/06/1969
- 184 cm
- 85 kg
|
| MODEL |
MAKE |
| FS 500 |
GAS-GAS |
|
|
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
|
| Scratch |
212
|
128
|
123
|
92
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Stage |
212
|
128
|
123
|
96
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Overall |
212
|
188
|
179
|
162
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
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-
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-
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-
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Rob Verstegen : «I always ride with my heart»
He rides with “his heart”. “I have to really pay attention in as much as it is my first Dakar”, says straight off Rob Verstegen who is a Suzuki dealer in Holland and a novice when it comes to the Dakar. “You have to think and ride at 60 or 70% of your capacities on the Dakar.”
Rob is a careful but ambitious man. “I’m targeting a top 30 finish», he says soberly. His preparation does work in his favour: 19th on the Dakar Series Central European Rally – “and had I not crashed on the last day, I would have finished 12th “- and 9th on the Morocco Rally where he was “very pleased” with his race.
He has been riding for 30 years, he is a three-time Dutch amateur enduro champion (the last title coming in 1995). Rob never gave the Dakar much thought until two friends did it three years ago. “When they returned, they told me that I too have to do it.” Even though he’s aiming for a good result, Rob will try not to put too much pressure on himself. “I never forget that I am in the race to have good time. That is what pushes me to do the Dakar!” At the controls of his new motorcycle, a Gas Gas 515, Rob hopes for a rally that is “technical and not too fast”, because his machine “doesn’t have an extraordinary top end speed.”
A year ago in Morocco, Rob broke two ribs during his “first encounter with the dunes.” But today, this jovial Dutchman, who confirms he “now really likes the dunes”, and only worries about “loosing sleep”. He seems ready to go.
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com