THE CHALLENGE OF THE DUNES
Dunes and more dunes, that was the premise that the organization sold and that they really fulfilled. Five days of sand with exquisite planning in which everything was controlled, down to the smallest detail; For starters, an agreement with the Tunisian authorities made the always slow customs procedures a matter of 10 minutes. After 500 kilometers of road we arrive at Douz, the gateway to the desert, with the typical nerves of the previous day of competition where all the participants review their vehicles and the atmosphere is fantastic. In a few minutes we will have to be present at the first briefing where they will explain the details of the stage and give us the pen drive with the waypoints for the first day.
FIRST STAGE
Ahead of eight hours of dunes and with an interval of three minutes all the participants go out, each one has chosen their strategy: some have decided to go alone and others in teams, personally I think that those who go in a team have more possibilities since it is easier to unblock a car by pulling it than by shoveling, although that does not guarantee success as we will see at the end. The first stage is awarded to the Frenchmen Benoit and Didier making it clear that they are going to go all out and that they are not going to give anything away; in second position comes the previous champion Joan Lario; highlight the breakdown of the team of Don Marcial Rodríguez and son, who have the misfortune of breaking the rear group of their brand new KXR, and I say Don Marcial because it is a title more than deserved for his good humor and his special tranquility when facing the abandonment of the vehicle in the dunes to rescue it the next day. The organization set up the rescue device perfectly and the vehicle was back in Douz at eight in the morning, simply spectacular.
SECOND STAGE
The new loop in the same area of Douz with its famous arena fesfes, tricky sand that catches you at the slightest carelessness. The day starts again at eight in the morning to make the most of the sunlight and the first waypoints are relatively close to the start and the optional ones are in an area of low dunes but cut against the grain of which you have to study them well to pass them as quickly as possible. All the vehicles go by but Kike and Jordi’s Infernal Team has serious engine problems, a break in the air filter tube allows the sand to pass freely to the engine with the consequent loss of power and in the same area Albert Pou with his Cruisender breaks a front axle. Result: we are four cars of which only two work. Pep and Mia look for easy steps with their HDJ to be able to get them out of the dunes and we with our KZJ tow the Cruisender following the steps that are indicated. After almost two hours we managed to reach the waypoint where the organization is waiting for us to try to repair both vehicles; we, the Dalom Motor team together with Pep and Mia form a new team and are ready to continue the stage.
THIRD STAGE
After a one-hour liaison we arrive at the start of the third stage. In this section the real dunes begin, larger than the previous days but easier to climb and with harder sand. At the beginning of the stage there are small dunes that give us a lot of play until we reach the gate of the Gazelles, a fenced area where there are presumably gazelles. In all the years of going down that area I have not seen any yet, but there are them there like witches. After that area two real dune ridges begin, they are high and you have to go up them in phases until you reach the top. Today several teams have problems in their vehicles: our Dalom Motor team breaks a rear spring and has to abandon the stage, going back to Douz to literally steal the springs from Kike and Jordi’s car that is in Douz’s hotel waiting for the tow truck, and then do the 150 kilometers to the camp alone. But that is a small anecdote compared to the one experienced by Albert Pou and company; The shaft that was repaired the day before was defective and again in the middle of the dunes it breaks. Once again the organization mounts the rescue operation, this time it is even more difficult. They locate Douz’s mechanic and ask for the replacement. He travels at night to the gate of the Gazelles and a car from the Desert Raid organization also goes there, making all the dunes against the grain accompanied by Albert Pou. Once the spare parts have been collected, it returns to the place of the car and there one of the mechanics of the organization, the super mechanic repairs the toe. As far as we know the party was impressive, so much so that someone received a nickname for posterity: that was Pepe. From now on Pepe Winch, for his ability to uproot trees by hand. Once repaired, they arrived at the camp at around 3.30 in the morning, quite an adventure. The camp was inside a large cordon of dunes, some white tents that stood out against the yellow of the sand gave us a magnificent evening and after a great dinner and gathered around the fire we commented on the incidents of the day. The stage lacks classification because it is a 48-hour marathon type.
FOURTH STAGE
Today yes, today the race can be decided: three large cordons of dunes with a great wall at the end, the organization comments that there is a hidden who has made a great stage yesterday and we all look at Miguel and Ibon (Aznar for friends) as serious candidates for the final podium if they continue with their regularity. A group of HDJ’S together with a Wrangler who I will call “Lords of the Sand” draw up a group strategy in order to strengthen their positions in the standings. The stage is perhaps the most difficult, as only three cars make it into time at the finish. To our satisfaction, this stage was won by the Dalom Motor team, in second place Pep and Mia and in third place, of course, Benoit and Didier who mathematically secure the first place in the general as well as the second place will be yes or yes for Pep and Mia. All that remains is to resolve third place on the last day. For the organization it will be another entertaining night, since a car of the organization is in the dunes with a broken CV. Again, the mobilization of the team comes to the rescue, but this time it will not be at night, since the dunes are very high and it will be necessary for the truck to participate in it. At five in the morning they go to the rescue captained by Commander Javier at the controls of the truck and other organizational vehicles.
FIFTH STAGE
We reach the final stage, which might seem like a procedural stage but it is not, since there is a very nice cord near the end of the stage in which there could be surprises. The slogan at the start is to ensure the mechanics as much as possible so as not to lose positions, and today we have to suffer again, seven kilometers from the start we break a suspension stay so we have to retire, retracing our steps we find an organization car, which gives us its help for whatever we need. We indicate that we can continue on our own and they continue on their way. Albert Pou decides to accompany us for the rest of the day to help us if we need it. The rest of the day brings no surprises and everyone finishes on time: all that remains is to know the day’s classification to see how the general classification is. The uncertainty will remain until the awards ceremony to be held in Hammamet. We are all at the hotel commenting on the great week we have spent and after a good shower and a great dinner it is time for the Gin and Tonics, that magical moment that brings a few laughs.
MATMATTA – HAMMAMET
Today we have a free day ahead of us, everyone will decide what they spend the day doing, taking into account that we have to travel 500 km of road to reach the hotel. Some choose to go see Roman ruins, others visit the ancient souk of Hammamet, others opt for a good fish meal in the port… and of course everyone buys the typical souvenirs of the area. Finally comes the awards ceremony: after dinner, the organization calls all the participants one by one to give them a souvenir of the race: we all have our minute of glory, we are all champions, each one has risked following their criteria and knowledge of dune driving but the really important thing is that no one has suffered any damage, no accident and that’s the best. Benoit and Didier are the new champions, a spectacular regularity has allowed them to score in all the days and claim a more than deserved victory. Josep and Mia are in second place in the standings, they have worked as a team and have undoubtedly been one of the revelations. Miguel and Ibon get the third position in the general standings, another of the great surprises, day by day they have been climbing positions without making noise and without a doubt deserving of that third place. In a few lines I cannot name all the participants, but each and every one of them has had its importance, a fantastic human group that has always been united in the face of any adversity, always ready to help in whatever was necessary, so to all of them CONGRATULATIONS. To finish I want to congratulate the organization for the great work done, at all times they have been in the right place, controlling everything so that the development of the competition was simply spectacular. I hope that they continue this line of work and that for future editions they continue to surprise us. Jose Antonio Guerra
