Dakar rookie Libor Podmol recognized during the first tests how hard the Saudi sand can be. The great freestyle motocrosser fell after 500 meters of Friday’s training before the prologue of the Dakar Rally.
Podmol has always dreamed of starting a Dakar, but he did not imagine such a beginning even in those in his worst dreams. “I was afraid I had fertilized it fatally. Fortunately, I’m fine, I just hit my belly a little and bit my tongue. I spat blood. In addition, I slammed my head, my fingerprint on the navigation and a little scratching it, “the rider described his carom.
Although he trained diligently on the sand in the Czech Republic, the Arabian proved to be very treacherous. Podmol sank into it and the miser was born. “I stuck the handlebars in my stomach and hit the navigation with my helmet. In the end, the fall turned out well, but I certainly didn’t imagine such a start to the shakedown,” added the 36-year-old, who fell 50 kilometers from the bivouac.
But bikers are tough guys. The beaten Podmol gritted his teeth, picked up his motorcycle, and trained diligently for another hour. “I had to get to know more about sand. I found out that I can’t read the dunes. I don’t really know if it’s a gentle or very steep hill. This is the reason that punished me after five hundred meters,” said the world champion in freestyle motocross. and winner of the X-Games.
An unpleasant experience will force a nice racer to change his strategy in the first stages of Dakar. “Deep down, I’m a racer and I didn’t want to take this competition just to ride and take part. But the fall in training confirmed me that I have to be really careful at the beginning. And to drive sensibly. It was probably an educational slap, “added Podmol, who will race under the banner of his own stable.
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