If the Homolkes could move from the Czech snow to the desert in Saudi Arabia, they would be amazed. It’s food, Mr. Homolka would rate. When we’re upstairs, there will be panoramas, Mrs. Homolková would probably say.
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Even during a tense race, there are moments to enjoy. After Monday’s longest stage, the organizers chose a loop starting and ending in Vadí ad-Davasír (490 km / 287 km). Tuesday’s stage began later than usual to allow the latecomers from the previous day to start. Compared to the previous stages, the sand has decreased, on the other hand, the mountains and canyons have been re-inspected by navigators as much as possible.
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A moment of peace of Josef Macháček.Photo: Buggyra media
“We even loved the beautiful scenery. Mountains with trial stone rocky sections alternated with beautiful yellow sand. It was fast, you had to watch out for the tires on the rocky sections, but otherwise I’m satisfied. Can-Am pedaled nicely, “says Josef Macháček. The driver of the Buggyra ZM Racing team holds the seventh position among the light prototypes.
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It’s unbelievable how indestructible a retiree keeps up. He has ended his rich career twice, but always returned over time. And so last year he could land at home with a smile from ear to ear with a statue of a Bedouin for the winner. He expanded his collection of triumphs to six, in the past he has already mastered the category of ATVs five times.
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Dakar is starting to gain grades
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“This year started with relatively simple stages, which surprised me a little. But now it is starting to gain grades and the difficulty of the stages is increasing, “said Macháček after the longest stage, adding that in the beginning the race was mainly on fast pistes, sandy roads with fewer stones on the track and acceptable dunes.
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“It simply came to our notice then. After a rest day, we got to Riyadh, where the dunes are drier, it probably rained less and it’s much harder. In addition, they are larger dunes, ie more difficult to descend and exit, “points out the giant heaps of sand.
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Dakar is being held in Saudi Arabia for the third time in history, and according to Macháček, this year is similar to the previous one. “The stages are designed in exactly the same way. However, the difficulty is definitely rising from the first year of 2020. Two years ago, plains and plains raced a lot, and the riders protested a lot. But on Monday, the end of about 140 kilometers of plains was also interrupted by mountain ranges, where it was trial, “he describes.
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Before his sixteenth start in Dakar, he wished he had started well, which he failed to do. In the 3rd stage, he set the 38th time and then had to get higher from the unfavorable starting position. “I am not completely happy with the result. I’m still pushing the problems from the first part and it’s probably unattainable anymore. As the heavier tracks come and the technique holds, we move forward. Losses are so, but this is the Dakar. There is nothing that can be done about it, “says Macháček.
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Let it dust behind the carriage! Josef Macháček …Photo: Buggyra media
The tactics for the end of the rally are clear. “We will drive as we have accelerated so far,” he plans.
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“I say goodbye in a partial way,” Macháček threatens, as he has several times.
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His contract will expire at Buggyra after this year’s Dakar. “We slapped each other for three years. It will depend on the agreement. We should meet with the team in March. But I also have to know if it’s not a shame to ride a Dakar at this age and have ambitions to win. This is no longer normal. Rather, I can imagine a mentoring position for myself, “he smiles.
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