I’m back!
It’s great to be back with my family and in my own surroundings. This years Dakar was a great one, lots of my friends competed this year and that made it much more enjoyable.
I’ve taken away a lot from this years Dakar. We passed through loads of villages in Africa and it was great to see how many of the locals were out to cheer us on. One thing that sticks in my head is how colourful the people are in the run down villages. These are villages that don’t have simple things like sewers but still the people look so happy. They seem to wear the most brightly coloured clothes; it cheers you up especially at times when you’re feeling down.
On every Dakar I have done there has always been deaths but this doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. The loss of Andy Caldercott hit me really hard, seeing him lying there you can only feel for his family and friends but there is also relief that it wasn’t you. As you ride on you can’t help but think about what your family would do if it was you? Hearing about the deaths of two children in the villages is also hard to take, these were kids that were so happy to see you pass through their village and were probably in the crowd when I passed, waving with massive smiles on their faces as their village turns into a parade. We put our lives at risk competing in the Dakar, but we know this, these kids don’t and this shouldn’t happen to them.
Dakar 2006 went very well for me with very few problems, the biggest being my rear shock collapsing, but it is really hard to go a whole Dakar with no problems. At the start of the race crashing was a problem due to excitement and navigation. Getting lost is a real scary time your head is not were it should be because you’re looking around for the way back on the track so crashing becomes more likely.
Just like other years one of the hardest parts for me was the early mornings, getting up at 5.00am or even earlier. It’s hard and very cold and you’ve got to try to eat something, normally it would be pasta and sauce and sometimes egg and ham it got better as the rally went on.
Having the Race to Dakar team there, with Charlie Boorman, had its good and bad points. Having the cameras there asking questions was nice and to let them know how your day had gone let you get a lot out of your system. But on the other hand there were so many team members looking after the riders with food and drink, getting beds out, tents put up and clothes and helmets blown out with the compressor ready for the morning; all the things that make the Dakar nicer for a rider. It made me realise just how much work I had to do each day by myself.
The best choice I made and my best friend on the Dakar this year was Bernard Wright, my mechanic who usually works at Park Lane BMW in London, he made my Dakar so much easier than in the past. Every morning my bike would be ready for me to race. Most nights Bernie would have no sleep and when he finished my bike early he would help other teams to get their bikes ready. This was Bernie’s first time on the Dakar and I would recommend him to anybody, he was a natural. Not only did he fix my bike but he would wake me up ready for my start time and then pack away my bed in the morning, he was the best mechanic and friend I have ever had on the Dakar and I could never have made it without him (Thanks Bernie).
The finish in Lac Rose, how glad I was to see it. Another medal in the cabinet, four Dakar’s entered and 2 finishes, how happy I am? Next year I will be relaxing with the rest of you on my arm chair, watching it on TV like 5 years ago, but this time it will be different. Back then I wished I could be doing it, but now I will look back at my medals and know that I can, I could, and I DID.
I would like to thank everybody that helped me this year to make it to the start and then go on to make it to the finish; I couldn’t of done it without you.
Thanks to……….
My family Louise, Alfie and Ellie
Bernie Wright
Neil Munro
Daniel Morgan from Clarks BMW -
www.clarksbmwbikes.co.uk
Alan James from the Welsh Motorsport Initiative (WDA) -
www.wda.co.uk
Touratech AG -
www.touratech.de
Richard Gunn from RG Engineering -
www.rgengineering.co.uk
Chris Emerson
Lorna and Shaun from Rainbow Motorcycles -
www.rainbowbmw.co.uk
David Robinson from Robinsons Limited -
www.robinsons-limited.com
Paul and Michaela from Paul Green Tyres -
www.paulgreentyres.co.uk
HJC Helmets (Oxford Products) -
www.oxprod.com
BMW GB -
www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
K&N
Alpinestars
Nick Plumb
Team Touratech
Rider # 181
is on his way (and no I won't tell you when 
).
