It’s considered the toughest rally in the world, pushing man and machine to their absolute limits - and this video gives a glimpse why.
Breakdowns are common in Dakar, mainly because the extreme environment takes a toll on the restless machines.
That’s exactly what happened to Tim and Tom Coronel and their buggy broke down in the notorious fesh-fesh – sand that has been worn down from its typical granular size, into a dust-like particle. Being a race, not everyone is of course willing to stop and save a fellow competitor in need. After several other trucks passed dangerously close to the buggy, one of them even hitting the vehicle (!), finally someone decided to stop and give them a hand, Dakar style.
Unlike on public streets, where towing is a delicate process that usually avoids further damaging the car, in Dakar it is a case of hang-on-tight-pal. Still, as helpful as the truck driver was, in his eagerness to save up the lost time, he floored it like there was no tomorrow.
Needless to say, Tom Coronel didn’t even had time to put his helmet on, not to mention hang on tight…