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Dakar 2006

Experienced enduro campaigner Mick Extance has successfully completed the 2006 Euromilhöes Lisboa-Dakar Rally aboard the critically acclaimed Honda Racing CRF450X. The Derbyshire-based rider finished the 15 stages of the demanding event in an impressive 27th position overall – his best ever Dakar result. He was also the highest-placed British rider.

The infamous rally is an exhausting event, which pushes competitors’ navigational skills and physical endurance capabilities to the test. Of the 250 two-wheeled participants to start the race, only 93 reached the finish line.

Honda UK-supported Extance began his punishing off-road adventure in the cosmopolitan city of Lisbon on 31 December 2005. In order to reach his final destination at Lac Rose in Dakar, the 42-year-old faced a two-week marathon over a distance of nearly 10,000km.

Though somewhat used to the unforgiving conditions of the treacherous rally, five-times Dakar campaigner Extance was forced to navigate the fine sands of Morocco, the fjords of Mali and the rocky tracks of Guinea. Some of the individual stages were more than 800km in length and took more than nine hours to complete.

In addition, Extance didn’t have the luxury of a hotel to return to at night, or the aid of mechanics to assist him with any crucial repairs of the Honda Racing CRF450X. After completing a demanding ten-hour day, the Spondon-based rider often had to change the wheels of the machine himself. He then settled down onto the dusty desert floor of a makeshift tent for a less-than good night’s sleep.

Despite this, Extance had few difficulties, and was in 47th position by the end of stage five. Over the next six days, the resolute British rider managed to make up more time on his nearest rivals, before increasing his overall position to a lofty 27th.

He is pleased with his performance. “This has been one of the most difficult two weeks of my life,” he reflected. “The rally has really pushed my physical capabilities to the limit – but it was worth it.

“My biggest challenge was going out to compete in the Dakar on a new bike. However, I had worked with the Honda Racing CRF450X before and even went out to Morocco to train in the desert last October. Realistically, I couldn’t have been more prepared.

“Despite my experience at the event, this year has been a steep learning curve for me. During one stage, my rear wheel inner tube burst and realising that it was beyond repair, I stuffed the tyre with straw and grass from a nearby field! You’re on your own out there, so you have to be resourceful.

“Because we’d spent so much money on actually getting to the rally, we didn’t have any funds left to pay a mechanic to assist me. So, I ended up doing most of the alterations to the CRF450X myself, which was hard after a long and tiring day. I carried my tools around in a little tin!

“I’m really pleased with my performance throughout the entire rally – 27th position is an improvement on last year’s result by more than 20 places. I’m proud to be the highest finishing British rider too. The race was a lot faster than I had expected but the Honda was made for racing so I was even battling alongside some of the top riders at one point.

“I’ll definitely be returning to race in 2007. This year I demonstrated that Honda Racing is a serious contender for a top 20 position in the infamous Dakar Rally. I’ll be back next year to prove it!”

Honda Racing Off-road Manager Roger Harvey was thrilled with Extance’s result. “I’m over the moon for Mick,” he said. “He’s done incredibly well to finish with such a high placing. Although the Honda Racing CRF450X was a new bike last year, he took to it like a duck to water and I don’t think he’ll ever look back.”

Extance hopes to better his position in 2007, when he returns to compete in the agonising Dakar Rally for the sixth consecutive year.