Three-time Dakar champion Marc Coma took a trip to the roots of the race as he prepared for another trip to South America.I’ve been checking out the route and it looks like the most African-style Dakar we have had since the race moved to South America.
For the previous few years we have raced in a loop that started and finished in Buenos Aires but this time we’ll be going coast-to-coast. Until the finish line in Lima there will be plenty of desert along the route and that also makes me think of the races in Africa.
Last year was Joan Pedrero’s first race with our team and things worked out great. Now we have to prove that my win was not a one-off thing. I’ve never won the Dakar in two consecutive years but I have a chance to do that in 2012. I’ve now got a decade of Dakar experience behind me so it’s time to gather the fruits of these years.
The 2012 Dakar is just around the corner so I’m happy to say that my preparation and training is complete. Every year I have to go easy on my Christmas dinner because I can’t afford to undo all the work I’ve been doing in the gym!
‘I’ll go easy on the Christmas dinner so I don’t undo all my hard work’
Once again this year I did the bulk of my Dakar preparations in Morocco. It’s impossible to find dunes in Spain and in the winter the weather becomes unsuitable for riding it just makes sense to go to Africa. Morocco is the ideal place to simulate the conditions of the 2012 Dakar because the race will feature dunes on every stage.
Morocco is the first country I ever tested myself racing over dunes. It’s in a place called Merzouga that used to be a big feature of the old Dakar routes through Africa. The scenery is so beautiful and the section of the race at Merzouga was always popular with fans and competitors.
The desert in Morocco is not exactly the same as what you find out in South America but that’s what you have to expect with the Dakar. You can try to recreate the conditions of the race as faithfully as possible but it’s never going to be the same as the real thing.
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Check out Marc’s profile pageMore Red Bull motor sports
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Article/2012-dakar-rally-route-part-one-argentina-021243135465197|Red
Check out Marc’s profile pageMore Red Bull motor sports
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Article/2012-dakar-rally-route-part-one-argentina-021243135465197|Red
Bull Roadbook | The 2012 Dakar
