1602 DT final

If you watch social media you’ll
see that few people locally give
this event as much attention as
our own Elza Thiart. Day by day,
we were kept up to date with
images and news as the rallye
progressed. She shares her
thoughts on this year’s event…
To be a finisher of the 2016 Dakar Rally,
you had to be on your seat (or in your
vehicle) for almost 9 500 kilometres, race
13 stages for 15 days in two countries
in South America. Temperatures varied
between 4°C and 50°C and altitudes
went as high as 4 700m above sea level.
If you ‘survived’, you were part of 63%
of the starters who managed to finish
the race… Our SA men were among
that lot…
Some of our South Africans were a part
of this ‘elite’ group who tackled and
finished the toughest off-road racing
adventure in the world – the 38th Dakar
Rally – and brought home some great
results including two overall podiums
and two class victories!
There were quite a few avenues for
those who love following the Dakar at
the beginning of each year and various
WhatsApp groups as well as Facebook;
websites and other media kept everyone
informed – and biting their nails.
Team Rhide SA returned to the Dakar
for a second consecutive year and this
year their team was not only bigger
(four competitors), but it also included a
motorcycle rider, Wessel Bosman (57),
who is a South African, but as the owner
of the Afri-Ski resort on the Lesotho
border, entered his second Dakar as
the first ever competitor from Lesotho
to tackle the race. The rest of the team
consisted of multiple SA National
Champions, Brian Baragwanath
and George Twigge as well as
the ever consistent, Ted Barbier
on their Yamaha Raptors.
38 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016
1602 DT Dakar 2016.indd 38 2016/01/24 9:38 PM