RUST magazine: RUST #45

DAKAR | CRAIG KEYWORTH
The stats are brutal. I’d pointed out
before the start that at least half of us
were unlikely to make it, and I was right.
But I had enough time to contemplate
my stupidity, my vulnerability and
what I would be throwing away before
making a conscious decision to again
keep it pinned. I don’t think like this.
I ride to my limits and take calculated
risks, but I ride with confidence and
don’t dwell on the what ifs or the might
haves. Crashes are digital, you crash or
you don’t. I don’t like the term ‘try’ either.
As it implies there’s a possibility of
failure, so I don’t try to avoid stuff, I just
DO avoid it. This was a crash though, in
everything but the horrible ending. I sat
up and rode all the way to the finish line
on day 12 with that little warning sitting
on my right shoulder. Don’t be a dick.
Now, to be clear I’m not suggesting
the crashers have only themselves to
blame, just that I rode with enough
in the bag that I could catch, correct
or stay lucky for the rest of the show.
It worked, but let’s not kid ourselves,
those three were equal in measure. I still
hit things I’d not seen, and got caught
out by things I should have seen, but it
wasn’t happening so fast or so on the
edge that it was a game ender. There are
still plenty of dings in my Husky!
WHAT ABOUT SAUDI?
Prior to our arrival, there were many
detractors; a host of naysayers and the
usual politically or socially offended
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