“Malle moto: that’s old school Dakar!”

22 décembre 2015 - 17:20

“I’ve dreamt of the Dakar ever since watching it on TV. I’d been waiting to do it for the last ten years. Sadly on day 2 I dislocated my shoulder at the bottom of a dune. I couldn’t quite see the horizon and there was an 80ft drop that I misjudged. It was carnage at the bottom. The doctor who treated me on site told me I had that look in the eye. He knew I would come back. I stayed on the race until the finish to understand it better. It’s a humbling experience. Now is it more disappointing to quit after day 2 or day 14? Anyhow, I’ll certainly celebrate if I get through day 2 this time. This time I’m doing it in the malle-moto class. That’s old school Dakar. I’m really looking for that camaraderie between twenty guys. I’ve chosen a bike for its reliability rather than performance. It’s a Honda I built in my shed. I trust the bike; I know the slightest noise it might make. I’m a competitor so I’m aiming at Top 50 but I want this Dakar to be an adventure. I’ve limited myself in what I’m taking with me. Simple things to think about. Last year, I had taken the wrong tent, the wrong sleeping bag.”