4 minute read
From REME to DAKAR
Scribe: Maki Stravros
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Maki in action at the ADDC 2022
The Dakar Rally has been one of my ambitions since I was a child. However, it’s such a massive undertaking I never actually thought I’d make it to the start line.
I joined the REME as an Air Tech in 2010 and served a little under 8 years before my “seven clicks” (NVT). The transition to civilian life for me was quite nerve wrecking. Made harder by the one-year notice period, making it almost impossible to look for work until the last 3
Maki in Qatar 2022
months. After leaving, I landed a Contractor job for the US Army in Bagram. The biggest surprise I had, how hard you have to work as a civilian for your money! I ended up doing 84hrs a week, maintaining Apache’s for 7 straight months without a day off.
Shortly after leaving the Army, I became quite depressed with no real sense of purpose. Something I expect every service leaver will go through to some extent during their transition. The support structure and comradery around the block with your peers and CoC vanishes as you drive off camp for the last time. During this period, I stumbled across a YouTube video series about the Dakar by Lyndon Poskitt. The Dakar became something of an obsession. For the next 4 years I built my whole life around the goal. I moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with my family to be closer to the sand racing and the Cross-Country rally scene. Cross country Rally Riding is in the words of Husquvarna “One of the toughest and more extreme disciplines of motorcycle sport. Bold and adventurous competitors spend long hours on the bike in hostile terrain, negotiating the ground at speed while navigating their course. The most celebrated of the international events has to be the Dakar Rally held every January, a fearsome challenge for riders and machines and eagerly anticipated by sports fans globally.” * Roadbook = schroll of directions issued 20 minutes before the start Cross country Rally Riding is different in many ways to any other variation of the sport. The moto rider is solely in charge of their own navigation. All categories get issued the same roadbook* but the cars and trucks have a Co-Driver to read notes and direct them. All the compass headings, speed and distance calculations (or guess-timings) are done in the rider’s head while traveling at 100mph off-road. During my research, I found that one of the few British competitors that have raced the Dakar, is REME’s own Neil Haker! Though I still haven’t met him in person, Neil has been tremendously helpful in my preparation. He has been filling in the blanks that the ASO (Dakar organisers) leave you in the dark about (almost every detail). Speaking to him also made
me realise how well trained and equipped for such a task any serving, or past REME actually are. Other civilian competitors I reached out to have been telling me about the things they found hard during the race: “Sleeping on the floor”, “Early mornings” and “having to stick to such a mandated tight schedule”.
The category I’ve entered is unsupported, known as “Original by Motul” or “Malle Moto”. Known in the sport as the purist’s category. It captures the spirit the rally had from its inception 45 years ago. Where the competitors, mostly amateur racers scramble from Paris to Dakar Senegal. Nowadays a standard day in the category involves sleeping in single man pop up tents, pitch/pack up, take care of any personal admin. Before a lengthy liaison (road transit) from the Bivouac (camp) to the start line. Competitors then race the prescribed course of up to 500km. Followed by a liaison to the bivouac location of the day in question. On arrival to the bivouac the vehicles get checked into a service area and the maintenance and repair begins. If you’re lucky an early night before doing it all again for 14 stages.
The organisation moves one singular box for each unsupported competitor. The “Malle” - French for trunk, must include any vehicle related tools/spares to see you through the 14 days and 9,000km. On top of the “Malle” competitors are allowed a single bag of clothing/personal admin, and a set of spare wheels. No external assistance is permitted on the vehicle under pain of disqualification. The external assistance rule brings all the Malle Moto competitors together as although competing head-to-head, they are allowed to help each other on-route or in the service area without penalties.
Maki and his partner at the ADDC 2022
My training has been rigorous, often riding for four hours in the mornings before going to work for a 9hr evening shift. The organisation vet all applicants and limit the number of bikes to 100 (30 in Malle Moto). Because of this it is mandatory to have competed in smaller, shorter events. Of which I’ve raced Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC) twice. With Qatar and Dubai Bajas placing high enough to earn a position at 2023 Dakar Rally of Saudi Arabia.
If you would like to follow my adventure, I post frequent training and race videos on my Instagram @stavroskii. If you’re leaving the REME and want advice on military contracts also feel free to reach out, Maki.stavros@gmail.com
