Ordinary Heroes
The eagle has landed. The guys have arrived on the shores of le Lac Rose in Dakar, Senegal.
None of them will know whether to laugh or cry. They, and their bruised and battered bodies, will be so glad that it's over but part of them will be a little sad now that it is. Now begins the frantic search for bottle-openers, corkscrews and - tomorrow - headache tablets for the hangovers.
We were glued to Iritrak this morning, watching them roll in together. Part of us was so glad that they had made it, part of us was so proud of what they have achieved, and part of us was a little bit sad not to have shared it with them.
ITM, Billy, Vince - we are all very proud of you. And you guys deserve to be proud of yourselves. We bought a bottle of champagne for just this moment, and we'll be cracking it open tonight in your honour.
And let's spare a thought for Oz, who would have been there too if it hadn't been for the rapid medevac from Morocco. Oz, don't hang up the bike gear just yet- we'll do it next year.
Let's put this into perspective. The island of Ireland, from why my ITM hails (clue is in the name) is about 200 miles long from top to bottom, and 150 or so wide. That's about 350km. In order to replicate the distance that he's ridden these past few weeks, he'd need to ride up and down Ireland about 30 times.
Over 30 years ago, Thierry Sabine almost lost his life in the Sahara desert after getting lost on a rally. His vision was a race that would "push a man to his absolute limit, then push a little bit further". He made it his mission to bring the beauty of the Sahara to ordinary people who wanted to do extraordinary things.
And, make no mistake, the Heroes Legend guys are truly heroes for this very reason. They are not professional racers, factory riders or national enduro champions. They are plumbers, salesmen, joiners, brickies, computer people, pilots, fathers, husbands. Ordinary people, extraordinary things.
They succeeded where the professionals did not. They made it to Dakar. Hubert Auriol put on a really tough race - almost like a consolation Dakar - and it took a lot of the guys by surprise. Sleep deprivation, blistering heat, freezing cold - they've been through it all.
And now, on the shores of Dakar, they will sip a glass of champagne that never tasted so sweet.
Most imporantly of all, Flat Stanley made it to Dakar exactly as my ITM promised ITM-ette he would. You cannot buy the smile that that wee girl will be wearing.
"Heroes". The clue is in the name.
None of them will know whether to laugh or cry. They, and their bruised and battered bodies, will be so glad that it's over but part of them will be a little sad now that it is. Now begins the frantic search for bottle-openers, corkscrews and - tomorrow - headache tablets for the hangovers.
We were glued to Iritrak this morning, watching them roll in together. Part of us was so glad that they had made it, part of us was so proud of what they have achieved, and part of us was a little bit sad not to have shared it with them.
ITM, Billy, Vince - we are all very proud of you. And you guys deserve to be proud of yourselves. We bought a bottle of champagne for just this moment, and we'll be cracking it open tonight in your honour.
And let's spare a thought for Oz, who would have been there too if it hadn't been for the rapid medevac from Morocco. Oz, don't hang up the bike gear just yet- we'll do it next year.
Let's put this into perspective. The island of Ireland, from why my ITM hails (clue is in the name) is about 200 miles long from top to bottom, and 150 or so wide. That's about 350km. In order to replicate the distance that he's ridden these past few weeks, he'd need to ride up and down Ireland about 30 times.
Over 30 years ago, Thierry Sabine almost lost his life in the Sahara desert after getting lost on a rally. His vision was a race that would "push a man to his absolute limit, then push a little bit further". He made it his mission to bring the beauty of the Sahara to ordinary people who wanted to do extraordinary things.
And, make no mistake, the Heroes Legend guys are truly heroes for this very reason. They are not professional racers, factory riders or national enduro champions. They are plumbers, salesmen, joiners, brickies, computer people, pilots, fathers, husbands. Ordinary people, extraordinary things.
They succeeded where the professionals did not. They made it to Dakar. Hubert Auriol put on a really tough race - almost like a consolation Dakar - and it took a lot of the guys by surprise. Sleep deprivation, blistering heat, freezing cold - they've been through it all.
And now, on the shores of Dakar, they will sip a glass of champagne that never tasted so sweet.
Most imporantly of all, Flat Stanley made it to Dakar exactly as my ITM promised ITM-ette he would. You cannot buy the smile that that wee girl will be wearing.
"Heroes". The clue is in the name.
Download the Manic Mission Information Pack for the full story ...
posted by 2009 Dakar at
Saturday, March 22, 2008
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