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Desert Dash


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Posted

Desert Dash coverage on SuperSport 208. 

 

 

If you want to PVR. 

 

 

Again at 01h20 and 11h00 on Tuesday

 

 

Again at 10h30 on Friday. 

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

If you think you had an interesting race on the Dash, take a look at this!!!

 

 

Eish - where to begin. Once on top of Kupferberg, I did the cardinal mistake of wanting to drive myslef the "4x4" section to the C28 as it was my 4x4 and I wanted to drive it and have fun of course. I also had it in my mind, for some reason, that the drive to the CP was not going to take that long?? Yeah, I know, and for someone that is good with maps, I don't know how I got to that conclusion...

Once on the C28, I only then realized, hey, I need to eat and get rest. As we stopped to quickly organise that, I smelled oil and low and behold, oil came gushing out of the left rear wheel...

Thankfully Klaus Zahadricy drove past us with his fortuner and offered to help. So we hooked our trailer on his fortuner, and in all this, we just stuffed all things in the bakkie (stuff from the fridge, food, sleeping bags, beer etc) in the trailer and off we went. So massive adrenaline rush and worries got added. Eventually, again, I realized I at least need to get some rest. All my food was now in the back of the trailer, lekker deurmekaar.

Just as I fell asleep, an official sped past us with his toyota and hit a horse!! So we stopped, helped the driver out of the bakkie, thankfully he was ok. So I ran back to the horse - and the horse is not dead. The official had a pistol with him so we shot the horse and then we had to pull the horse off the road. After that, we helped the official kick and cut out the shattered glass so that he can continue.

Again, massive adrenaline rush and now I couldn't get to sleep.

Eventually go to the half way mark with no rest and no replenishment for my body. I thought to myself - let me just get my bike ready. As I was getting my gear setup, I found my cycling stuff soaked in beer... Of course a beer bottle had to break - I smelled like a shebeen.

So I got my bike ready, chowed some stuff (had no appetite at 01:00 in the morning) and tried to get some sleep. I sent a sms to my partner to check where he is at. I sms'ed back and saif he DNF'ed - I must wait for him at the half way point he is on his way with a support vehicle. I at least can finish the race for myself. So I went to the CP and waited for an hour almost. Eventually, 02:15 I got going. I did Stage 4 in a good time, for me, and was well on track. 

When I got to the end of Stage 4 - I was now really REALLY hungry. I found my partner and heard that Klaus, who was now supporting us, broke his collar bone and can't help us. My cycling partner phoned his wife to come take our trailer and support me, but this was now hours ago and she is still not there and now my cycling partner can't get hold of her, he is stressing his ass off and I still don't have food... 

So I carried on...

The story is getting long now, but let me just say when I got to the end of stage 5 (still in very good time though), my body was shaking and I just couldn't continue. With all the bad luck, adrenaline rushes, no sleep and no food or replenishment, I just couldn't go on... http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/images/smilies/cry.gif

So next year I will have backup vehicles ready both from Windhoek and Swakop and a bunch of other measure will be put in place.

My body recovered well and I was happy with my fitness level, but the fact that I did not manage to replenish, was the final straw...

The new 2-man format is quite challenging, maybe I should not have done that on my first attempt, but then again, even with all our troubles, I would have finished as a 4-man team if you compare and my fitness level was ok, so this year definitely 2-man again.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
Posted

I stupidly booked a wedding for the 9th of December, thinking the Dash will be the week after :(

Have them move the wedding to 15:00 on the 9th, you should be in by then... :ph34r:  :ph34r:

Posted

I was thinking of just pedaling faster

If the wedding is on the 9th in Swakopmund or Walvis Bay and you finish within 23 hours, you have a whole full hour to get ready and attend. Even better, just skip the church part and attend the party that night. 

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