Paris Dakar

Paul Maguire(34) is one of the Lunchtime Legends’ most seasoned triathletes. But he’s always had a burning ambition to compete in the Paris-Dakar – not the car rally version, but the bikes. It’s his first love: Off-road, motocross and, most successfully, enduros, Paul knows his way round the two-wheelers. And, you need to in this 17-day desert race across the African continent. It may be called the Paris-Dakar, but in the year 2000, although the bikes were scrutinized in Paris, they were then flown to the race start in Dakar, the capital of Senegal in west Africa. 7,000 miles later and after an enforced airlift over civil-war hit Niger, Paul would arrive at the finish beside the pyramids in Cairo. It had cost him dear to get into the race some 24,000 pounds in all including the 9,000 pound entry fee.7,000 pounds for the hire of a 600cc single cylinder KTM machine, then there’s travel, insurance and the all-important hire of GPS navigation system (above all you do not want to get lost in the desert). He covered on average 500 miles a day in temperatures that reached the high 40s by day and went into minus figures at night when – unlike the pro teams -without any back-up, he had to sleep by his bike at night. He would spend about 10 hours on the bike and then spend the evenings servicing it. 

Disaster struck in the Libyan desert when he blew the engine. He thought that was that but as he was on the main track, he spent the whole day waiting for mechanical help to come by. It eventually did and he eventually persuaded them to help him replace the engine at an additional cost of 2,000 pounds before they rejoined their team. The KTM fired and Paul was back in the race although he had to ride virtually through the night to make camp. And, then only had three hours before the next day’s start. At one point Paul was lying 23rd but the blown engine and stopping to help an English rider who had fallen and broken his pelvis, dropped him down to a finishing place of 93rd in a race in which 50 per cent of the field never see the finish line. Paul also returned home with one of those unspecified viruses that takes months to get rid of and can leave you very debilitated. But he’s a Paris-Dakar veteran now, and the  fitness is coming back which is just as well as he’s getting married this summer.

PARIS-DAKAR TIPS: Mirrored lenses- A visor cuts out the glare – especially when you’re riding into the Sahara sun. When the sun’s on your back, a bandana is useful for protecting your neck. ICO- a bike mounted trip metre tells you how far you’ve travelled. Reset to zero each morning. Road Book- tells riders which turns and directions to take ,and at which points. Also, advises of hazards such as ditches, flooded banks and so on. GPS – Global Positioning System. If you’re lost, this will guide you to the nearest way point. Mark Thatcher’s walk-about on the same race in the 1980s happened before the days of GPS! Camel Back- The rules state that you must carry 2 litres of drinking water in a bladder on your back. You drink through a tube curled around your jacket. Dehydration is a real danger on the rally. One of paul’s toughest days was when he ran out of water 50 miles before the finish.