dakar stage 14: Pisco to Lima

day 23 - 15th january 2012

liaison 254km

special 29km

total 283km
start time 04:38

departing in the dark, eric and i lead the procession to the special. at one point we had to ride at 20kph for about 10km through a town, it was so slow it was a struggle to control the bike......and so boring......just wanted to get to lima now.....

the day was overcast, a thick low cloud formed by the warm damp pacific air condensing as it rose up over the peruvian mountains, i think it was the only day it had been like this on the entire rally.

turning off the highway, we rode the last few km up into the mountains, along a gravel track to the start line. this was it, this was the last special of the 2012 dakar and i was here......how on earth i had made it this far i do not know, i was just so relieved, i dreaded the thought of 'having' to do attempt this for a second or third time. i'm sure it was the fear of having to do it again that drove me on! so many times i thought about wrapping......i don't know how many times i fell, how many times i got stuck, felt sick, tired.....exhausted......the dakar is brutal. it was everything i had expected it to be, but one still cannot fathom how hard it is until one actually does it. i won't bang on anymore about it.

bikes arriving and lining up behind mine and eric's

eric standing by his bike, mine just behind

arranging the bikes ready for the start

a close knit group of riders, who's only communication
was the occassional nod or wave in the desolate wastelands
of south america

etienne was mingling with the riders, on a level, enjoying the moment as much as the rest of us. we spoke briefly and he said "i'm very pleased to see you here" i replied "not as much i am!" once the clouds lifted, etienne gave the thumbs up and the final 29km started. it was a daunting prospect having 95 very fast riders behind me, but the only consolation was the fact the amount of dust would keep them at bay a while longer! it may have been 29km, but it was technical and there were a lot of waypoints to hit.

it was a riot! riders going off in all sorts of directions, not wanting to fuck up, not wanting to be left behind, not wanting to miss a way-point - do i follow or do i lead? - so i just tried to blank out everyone around me and ride my own race......it was bloody hard and i kept looking at my roadbook and ico and counting down the kms to the finish. i so badly wanted this to be over now.....i'd had enough ; ))

 the damp sand and dust was sticking to everyone's goggles, it was so hard to see where we were going at times and in the final run to the finish, it was as if i'd been racing motocross. the final sand gully to the finish lined with spectators, everyone riding eratically, wanting to finish in good time, but also enjoy the moment and ride for the crowds.

crossing the finishing line, 14 days of torture over, now a lifetime of......well i'd like to say something like fulfilment, but as mighty as the dakar is, it is not the be all and end all and ultimately one is never fulfilled, it's human nature to keep pushing......getting too deep here, it is a bloody good feeling to have finished it. very pleased, but also numb with mental and physical exhaustion. celebrating inside my head, hidden from view inside my lid, a very private moment in a very public place.....

jubilation in the mist!

back centre: ned waving, we've cracked it!

i hung around for 5-10mins soaking in the atmosphere, seeing the different riders congratulating each other. but then i thought, let's get to lima, which was about 120km away. straight out onto the highway, i turned right, heading north, revelling in the fact i'd finished, i had done it, for me, for patsy, for everyone who had supported me over the years and during the rally.

and as we drew nearer to the city, more and more people lined the roadside, every bridge, cheering, waving. waving back and hooting horns, smiling for cameras  in the cars that were either overtaking or being overtaken, it was a lot of fun. but nothing prepared me for the last 30km. riding into heavier traffic i noticed a policeman in the middle of the road waving towards the hard shoulder and glancing to my right i saw a long line of bikes parked at 45 degrees pointing towards lima, when one shot out and the rider, a policeman, in his shiny leather boots and open faced helmet, waved me to follow him - he was a cross between a rider from chips and the ymca video! we were then escorted, one-to-one all the way to the centre of the city, to the plaza de armas, weaving in and out of the traffic at 100kph, it was like being escorted from the m25 all the way to trafalgar square in london, the crowds almost screaming  on the roadsides it was awesome fun!!

lined up now on the roadside, we were waiting to be sent off to the podium for the final celebration before doing all the admin, returning gps units etc and then heading to a hotel somewhere - i had nothing organised as this point, other than the very kind offer to stay with jago and his family out of town.....i wasn't worried in any case, i'd sleep anywhere now!

eric had been told he had to pay a speeding fine otherwise he would not be awarded his finisher's medal, so as a result i was sent up onto the podium first....

the locals were so excited about my arrival ; ))

back to the podium....

best moment sharing the experience with the team....

martin, jago and patsy - john's busy filming (mum behind the camera again!!)

"where the @#!! do i go now??!!"

as i rode up onto it, i was wearing my michelin podium cap as i had done in mar del plata 16 days earlier. and there to greet me was patsy! then my mum appeared with martin and john and then my father! he's flown in from dubai, via paris and had arrived only a couple of hours earlier....he doesn't like to waste time.... jago jumped a barrier and ran up the podium. it was fantastic having everyone there to share this incredibly special moment......

patsy'd warned me it was an expensive medal!!!