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BRITS UNDER STARTERS ORDERS

2nd January

Report Chris Evans

All the competitors have now arrived in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, ready for the start of the 2017 Dakar. Among them, the five Brits entered in the bike class. At one end of the scale you have Red Bull KTM factory rider Sam Sunderland, who should logically being running up at the front of the field, while further back you have his amateur colleagues, Max Hunt, Kurt Burroughs, Dave Watson and Lyndon Poskitt, who as part of his Races to Places odyssey has ridden to the start all the way from Alaska! While our fabulous 5 might have very different ambitions, after months of preparations all are keen to get going.

Sam Sunderland

“Yup everything under control. I’m fit, the bike is running perfectly, the team is well organised and we’re just waiting to get going. All that stands between us and the start line is scrutineering, the riders briefing, a very quiet New Year’s Eve celebration and the ceremonial podium start on 1 January. Then on the first day of racing we have a short 39 kilometre special in Paraguay followed by a long liaison to take us across the border to our first bivouac. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Max Hunt

I’ve been looking through the booklet the organisers give us with all the stage distances – wow it’s a long way! The first couple of stages don’t look too bad but then on Day 3 we start off at around sea level before climbing to 4800 metres. That’s going to be a rude shock. Then days 5 and 6, before the rest day look pretty tough. But that’s the Dakar I guess, if it wasn’t hard we wouldn’t be here. I’m really excited now. It’s going to be great.

Lyndon Poskitt

You are always busy on the Dakar and the run up to the race is no exception – especially when you’ve got no assistance… I’ve been to KTM to get a rock arm update, I’ve put new tyres and mousses in and I’ve fitted a new high level mudguard to my bike as the first few stages look like they’re going to be muddy. To be honest once it is on it will probably stay there as I am likely to have more pressing things to attend to once the rally gets underway.

Kurt Burroughs

We had a bit of a last minute change of personnel and just four days before the boat leaving Le Havre we had to find a new van. Luckily we managed to rent Lyndon’s (Poskitt). Obviously being in the unassisted malle moto class he won’t be needing it… All of that meant that preparations have been a bit rushed but now we’re here I’m feeling fine and looking forward to getting going. I spent the last couple of weeks before leaving home sleeping in a plastic altitude tent so hopefully that will help when we start to climb, though to be honest I’ve never really suffered from altitude sickness before.

Dave Watson

We were virtually the last to pick up our assistance truck from Buenos Aires and for the 1200 kilometres from there to Asuncion we had a police escort virtually all the way. Every 50 kilometres or so we’d pick up a new escort and made pretty rapid progress! We felt like royalty. Apart from that everything is going according to plan – though my assistance crew have asked me to say that they are ‘completely indispensable.’