Merzouga Rally

Merzouga Rally - Another great rally but my run of bad fortune continues.

Arrived the day before and got in some dune training and all felt good. A cautious start due to the recent damaged wrist but was up to full speed in no time.

The next morning was the technical checks and a quick navigation training exercise. There was a lot to take in with the new GPS system but that was the reason for being here. All waypoints hit and I was looking forward to the race.

Took the prologue steady as Edo warned me of broken dunes, and then went riding with fellow Dakar competitor Koray. We took time to watch the shoot-out from the top of a dune for the top ten riders.

Day 1 - All going well in the special until 20k from the end 'the bike ran out of fuel'. There was fuel in the rear tank but it didn't want to take part in the rally! I watched as all the riders I'd passed during the day rode past me to the final check point. A Marshall turned up and we got the bike going again, but I was pretty disheartened. Finished the day early so went for a play in the dunes and did some filming with Keith on his 450RR.

Day 2 - Went well again with some great dune riding but once again the same fuel problem caused me to push the bike uphill to CP2. The navigation was spot on and you really had to have you're wits about you to hit all the way points.

Day 3 - The throttle action was relaxed to gain the distance needed to finish the day with no issues. Any chance of a top finish was long gone so decided to put my efforts into getting the navigation dialled in for Dakar. A comfortable 12th place was achieved with no dramas.

Day 4 - I had been up all night with diarrhoea. Thought nothing of it (been here before) and was the 1st of the team to CP2. Nausea and tiredness finally took its toll on my day and the journey to CP3 was painfully slow. Being unwell caused a crash, dehydration, and during the last 8k dune section I had to constantly take rests watching everyone ride past and into the distance. Again pretty gutted, but hit all way points.

This was the end of my race as I then spent the rest of my time in Morocco suffering from fever like symptoms. Big thanks to Martin at Torque Racing for getting me doctors, prescriptions, water, and finally getting me home.

The Merzouga Rally gave me a good taste of the navigation systems used in Dakar and I'm confident with my riding abilities. The heat still causes me concern so I've got an appointment with a sports nutritionalist in the UK to see if a change in diet may help. The Merzouga Rally is a great event with tricky navigation and beautiful desert riding. I hope I can return for another go in the future.

Back In The Saddle

After 6 weeks of being out of action I managed an hour of off-road riding on the 950 today. The wrist hasn't got all the movement I would like and its a little weak but I'm confident that all will be OK for the Merzouga Rally next month. Cant wait to get back into the dunes again.

Bad timing!

Had a crash on the new Husqvarna 2 weeks ago in training. X-ray's today confirmed that I will be out of action for at least 6 weeks. This isn't great timing as I have the Merzouga Rally coming up, and will miss out on a load of riding training.

I'm staying optimistic but I am also feeling this year is jinked! The Merzouga Rally is a great event and perfect training for navigation and the sand. I hope I can still get to the starting line. My training will continue with running, yoga, and gym work.

John O' Groats To Lands End

As part of my training for the Dakar I cycled from end to end in the UK. We started at John O' Groats, Scotland and finished some 960 miles later in Lands End, Cornwall.

This was my 3rd End To End ride and I'm pretty sure I won't be doing it a 4th time. Scotland was as I remembered it - Very beautiful and friendly. Devon was also as I remember it - very hilly!

We had mixed fortunes with the weather. We had a hurricane named Bertha hit the UK during our ride which was pretty wet and cold, a handful of heavy rain, and unfortunately a strong headwind for a lot of the journey.

The ride was good training with 2 weeks in the saddle causing various aches and pains. The majority of the nights were spent in youth hostels and campsites.

Many thanks to Bugs for accompying me with the cycling and to Tracey who did a fantastic job looking after us. More photos can be found here

Entry confirmed for Dakar 2015

I received this morning the official letter from A.S.O. confirming my registration for the 2015 Dakar Rally. I got a call from my girlfriend explaining that there was a letter from France, and emailed me the contents whilst I was surrounded by sheep in Wales with a broken bike (fuel injector again!). It's been a strange old journey with many highs and lows but the real adventure is yet to begin. I have made many good friends in the last 3 years, run nearly 1,000 miles during training, taken part in 8 international rallies, and broken many bikes! I'm obviously delighted but also rightfully apprehensive. Thanks for everyone's continuing support.

2015 Husqvarna revealed

For 2015 I will be riding a Husqvarna FE450 with the support of Midwest Racing here in the UK.

Midwest Racing have a great racing heritage previously running the Husaberg and now Husqvarna UK race team. I'm very happy to have their support for 2015.

Welsh 2 Day Enduro

Love this famous 2 day event in Wales. Tough but so much fun. Great atmosphere, always meet new friends, and the riding is awesome.

Did the event on my Husaberg 450 which was still in rally trim with the extra fuel tank, and navigation gear. Not the ideal bike for the event but it did the job and I thouroghly enjoyed it. The bike certainly gained some attention with the spectators, marshals, and other riders.

1st day was dry and only lost a couple of minutes helping out a team mate with a sprocket/chain issue. The rain came in that night and totally changed the riding for the next day. Everything was slippery and greasy with mud a plenty. Lost count of the offs in the mud but great fun. Lost a lot of time though in the morning changing/checking the oil filters. Not something you'd usually do in this event, but a mechanical problem in the previous rally meant the bike needed some mechanical sympathy this time round.

Definitely be back next year. Big thanks to the organisers, marshals, and spectators. Just a great event.

More pictures can be found here