RallyRAIDio

After a miserable day of intense sickness yesterday that resulted in him sitting out the stage, Lyndon is much recovered today and had a great day on the bike, describing the stage as a "real African Dakar stage"!  Rally On, Lyndon!!

Lyndon calls in with a comprehensiive from the Bivouac after a rough day on the bike, health wise. 

On the eve of fulfilling his dream of riding a North African Rallye, Lyndon (Pyndon) Poskitt calls in from the Merzouga Rally. He'll be on his self-built KTM 700. It's great to have you back on RallyRAIDio, Lyndon!  

Ned Suesse (Neduro), who we followed with rapt attention during the 2012 Dakar Rally, calls in after Day 1 of the inaugural Baja Rally. Thanks, Ned, and good luck on Day 2!

For the third year in a row, fans from around the world have followed Luis Belaustegui as he's attempted the Dakar on a 2-stroke KTM 150. Last year he came agonizingly close before a crash and injury ruled him out a stage from the end. This year, he had to overcome one challenge after the next in order to make it. When you hear his attitude, I think it will be clear why he was able to triumph.

We chat with mechanic and team manager Scott Spears, followed by Luis, as they are on a layover on their flight home from Chile.  Thanks for taking the time to speak with us guys, and congratulations on a job well done!!

Fresh off the podium, we catch up with Lyndon for a wrap-up interview for his 2013 Dakar effort. Many of you have asked to hear from Lyndon's dad, Robin, who served as his mechanic for the race, and I'm happy to say that Robin joined us for this call! Grab your favorite beverage and sit back for the final details and some reflection on the past fortnight (indeed, the past year). Cheers!

Preempting the throngs of "official" media, Lyndon first calls in to RallyRAIDio from the finish line of his first Dakar. A Dakar rookie, but hardly a novice, Lyndon's effort this year is a textbook lesson on how to bring it home. CONGRATS, Lyndon!!!

An upbeat Lyndon calls in on the Penultimate day of the rally. After his miraculous (and rally-saving) mechanical repair yesterday, he started well down the field today and had to contend with a lot of dust, passing 40 bikes and quads through the course of the stage. One day to go, and Lyndon knows it's not over until the finishers medal (which is satisfyingly heavy, as Ned Suesse informed us last year) is in his hand. Keep it steady, Lyndon, and thanks for the ride!

It was clear from the timing sheets that something dramatic had happened to Lyndon in the first sector of today's stage, but no one in cyberspace could have imagined how close his rally came to being over. Lesser men would not have been able to repair the damage and bring it home (on pace, no less, once he got going again).  We didn't have an interview planned, but I was able to catch Lyndon on his call in and have a chat -- glad I did!  Go "Inside the Helmet" as Lyndon talks about what was going through his mind both out on the piste, and at the end of the stage.  Brilliant stuff.

Lyndon calls in after the Fiambala stage, which turned out to be of a much different character than those run on previous editions. True to form, however, the stages that appear shortest on the route description prove to be long on challenge. Looking ahead, the rally crosses the high passes back into Chile tomorrow, with three long days to go before the riders can allow themselves to relax.  Keep it steady, Lyndon.