Pic of my bike just before Badlands
I had fuel coming out of the rear tanks breather which anded up on my bum. End result was nice chemichal burn and a very tender bum for the start of day 3!
We set off that morning on nice fast sand routes, which turned into rocky passes and mountains, not my favorite. Donovan was in the lead most of the time, with me behind him. We didnt know at the time but Koos had ICO and nav issues again and was back in the field.
I had a small stupid crash while turning around after overshooting a turnoff and was hurting again. My batteries was flat for the last section before the refuel in Alexander bay.
Koos cauaght up with me and Donovan at the refuel, and they set off, me a little while after. The final section of the day was the same as day 4 of ast years Amageza, not to tricky, except for one turnoff outside Eksteensfontein (I think). My trip was not 100% on the book and I turned off about 200m early, saw it was wrong, went back took another road, which ended up on the same big gravel raod. The DZ for that section was 100km/h, and although the cap was not 100%, I decided to push on. My reasoning was that the river was North and i was going east and Fioolsdrift was next to the river I would eventually get there. Apparently not. That was about the same reasoning Jacques, Petrus, Carl nad Bill had!
The road got smaller, later going around a security gate and then just about vanished in some pretty remote mountains nad river beds. After going more than 20 kms I decided to take my medicine and go back. Eventually finding the correct route and had a rather uneventful ride to Vioolsdrift and the end of the special.
From there it was a tar liason of about 120 clicks.
The other 4 guys decided to push through, eventually finding a way across some mountains in the dark and got to Vioolsdrift, only arriving at Springbok after 10 o clock! They were quite upbeat after their adventure!!
Me giving Alex RG some intensive hands on maintenance training
Day 4
We started with the same liason as the previus day, with the special starting a few ks before Vioolsdrift. We set off in a type of reverse order, to try and bunch up the finish. Me and Donovna started last, with Alex sweeping as usual. The pace was high and we started carching up with some guys. Thomas and Chris fell in behind us and we made short work of the special, arriving in Pofadder before noon. Only a liason of about 250km left, luckily most of it was gravel! We arrived in Upington just before 15:00, had a few beers and a small ceremony.
As I have mentioned this was not a race, just a trip loosely held under rally rules, meaning you had liasons with speed zones, special sections etc. I am not someone that like bike tours, think this will be as close to a tour for me for the foreseeable future
Thanks to Alex and all of the volunteers it was brilliant, and thanks to all the other participants, truly enjoed your company!
Me and the man Donovan
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Topic: Willem du Toit Dakar 2018 (Read 18127 times)
