Dawn to Dusk Enduro - 27th August 2006

We travelled down on the Saturday afternoon, got our bikes sorted out, signed on and left them in parc ferme for the night. We then attended the sighting lap in the main tent, which was on a big screen! At 8 o'clock a quick talk by Charlie Boorman about the Dakar, quick pint and off to bed. We took my lorry down which has room for 4 bikes and sleeping for 3 ... sleep which we never got because of our neighbour's generator.

The start was at 7 o'clock so we were up at 4:30 getting things ready. Wayne and I both entered the 12hr iron man class (Meaning they have to ride the whole event themselves rather than ride as a team and share the load. ed.) so we both took 2 bikes just in case, me on a XR400 and KX250 and Wayne KLX250 and YZ250.

All the fuel and spares are down at pits in our gazebo and off we go at 7am with le mans style start.

Out on the track it was hard going, there were 3 extreme sections which were optional, Wayne and I did all 3 no problems.

We pitted several times for petrol and took plenty of water. Wayne rode his KLX the whole race, I used my KX for 4hrs then the rest on the XR. Wayne had a bad off half way through which he ended up in a stream on his side. The rest of the day went on with no problems. Other people were having loads of punctures as the track was really rocky.

We upped the pace later in the evening and we pitted every 3 laps. It was 18 mile laps so we were pushing it really.

We finished at 7.15pm, let the winner go through, picked up our medals and we'd done it...12hrs!..it was a good feeling.

I must just say something about Wayne, he completed the whole 12hrs not only with no sleep but he was riding with a bad injury which he sustained at Tom's Farm 2 weeks previous, ending up in Hereford general. I think he deserves a mention.

Can't wait till next year.