Without many resources, Colombians will take part this weekend in the most dangerous motor race on the planet in Saudi Arabia, marked by the health crisis due to the pandemic.
From this Saturday to January 15, the 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally will take place in Saudi Arabia, a competition accustomed to tragedies and difficult times, but never to a pandemic. held the event until the last minute, due to the closure of borders announced a couple of weeks ago by the Saudi authorities after the detection of the new strain of VOCID-19 from the Kingdom United. With the virus tail blows, the most dangerous motor race on the planet will feature the presence of four Colombians for the 7,500-kilometer route with departure and arrival in the city of Yeda, on the shores of the Red Sea.
There are two Dakars: on one side are those who run to win it and on the other those who fight to finish it. The differential factor? The budget.
The Colombians, belonging to the second group, are part of this selection of runners who come together to move forward in the middle of a race made to surrender and press the red button, so it becomes more of a test of solidarity between them. In the margin, the counterpoint between the so-called concentration of the rich and that of the poor.
Nicolás Robledo, who will run his fifth Dakar Rally, will be the main Colombian reference in the race on board his ATV, only this time will do so in a different category: the 4 x 2 quadricycles, in which there is greater speed and run those who fight for the title, as it always goes compete in the 4 x 4 Quads competition. You have the opportunity to make a historic performance for the country.
Read also: James returned and Everton lost in the Premier League
An Antiochian who stayed several years of his life waiting for a call to practice his profession of commercial aircraft pilot. He never arrived and from job to job decided to start his own event logistics company. Seven years ago they paid off a debt with a quad bike, and that’s where it all started. From a frustrated pilot of airplanes one became consecrated pilot of ATVs.
“I’m going for the first time in a Quad 4 x 2 where I was planning to train all year. I have a lot of learning to do, I’ll have to try it out in the race and adapt. I just want to finish this Dakar in a Quad I don’t know “, Pointed out Robledo.
And in the buggies, a rather new category, there will be a Colombian duo: Javier Vélez and Mateo Bru. The first will be the rider and will run his first Dakar Rally, while the second already has four participations in the motorcycle category and will be his co-driver. You will have the task of interpreting the maps, indicating where the vehicle should travel and fixing it.
“In the middle of 2020, Javier called me and proposed to me to take part in the Dakar. How are we? Physically very bad, because Nicolau Robledo only eats ice cream and donates … and I’ve stuck to all the ice cream and donated.”, Bru joked. “Colombians have helped us a lot; we can no longer help Giordano, at a distance what he needs,” he added.
Read also: Egan Bernal, with his sights set on the 2021 Tour de France
And it is that Giordano Pacheco, who was going to race his third Dakar on his KTM 450 bike Replica in the Originals category, where there is no technical assistance, which apologizes to the roots and purism of Dakar, also to the lack of large structures, having to get out of the competition at the last minute. The reason: coronavirus.
A very hard blow for him, as in November he suffered a serious accident that left him virtually ruled out of the race, but he had a record and unprecedented recovery that had him ready to participate.
“I prepared all year for the Dakar. I also had an injury and was able to take it, but unfortunately the COVID-19 won me over and the organization did not give me the go-ahead to participate. I don’t know how I got it. And now I was left outside, in Arabia stranded, in quarantine and lonely“, Pointed out with great disappointment Pacheco, who in the last edition had a historic performance for the country to culminate in the tenth box in Malles Motos, a category that has no technical assistance.
The reality is that the most complicated Dakar that Colombians run is what happens behind the scenes: get the resources and sponsorship to run. A process that takes all year, due to the lack of support and little tradition in the country.
The fourth Colombian in the race – who has the most Chilean heart, a country in which he has lived for almost fifteen years – will be John Trejos, Mounted on a Husqvarna 450 motorcycle carrying the number 120. This will be his second Dakar Rally, as in 2018 he was present, but withdrew due to a mechanical failure in the marathon stage at the Salar d ‘Uyuni, from Bolivia.
Read also: Reinaldo Rueda will be the coach of the Colombian national team
And in terms of the rich, the main news is the return of Frenchman Sébastien Loeb to compete in his fifth Dakar. The nine-time world champion meetings will be behind the wheel of a 4 x 4 prototype equipped with a nearly 400-horsepower V6 engine, with the colors of Bahrain, after being second in 2017 and third in 2019. “We have to give thanks that at least we can run “, Are the sincere words of Nani Roma, winner in motorcycles (2004) and champion in performances in 2014, a category in which he also has two runners-up.
There will also be other common names, such as the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Mini), defender of the car title; the Qatari Nasser A l’Attiyah (Toyota) and the Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini), the man who holds the record for victories (thirteen) in the Dakar.
On motorcycles, the American Rick Brabec (Honda) defends the title against men like the Australian Toby Price (Red Bull / KTM) and the Chilean Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna).
Thus, in the midst of a social and health crisis over questions about human rights violations and the problems with the pandemic, the Dakar is starting in Saudi Arabia.