Pandemic Adventure Rally Challenge – Round 2 Highlights

by | May 20, 2021 | Adventure Rally, CHALLENGES, Latest News, News and Events, UK Rally

Pandemic adventure rally round 2

May 16th, 2021

 

 
  • Conditions – biblical
  • Adv Rally Class – 9 riders
  • Adv Rally X Class – 10 riders

ADVENTURE RALLY CLASS

Report:
It was a full house of bikes and riders of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds, from seasoned desert rally competitors, to novices… and that’s the joy of rallying. It’s open to anyone who wants to try it.
We had hosted an Adventure Rally Training day on the day before the event at the same location, and most who attended the training then followed it up by entering the main event, so they went from being a complete road booking novice the day prior, to taking part in a 170km off-road Adventure Rally.

We were also excited to have attracted some of the more experienced riders to the Pandemic Adventure Rally, some who have ridden events such as the Africa Eco Race, (the less known but arguably more authentic version of the Dakar Rally). Upon receiving their feedback after the event, we were satisfied that they had been served up a decent challenge which kept them fully focused on the technical navigation throughout the day.

Those who rode in the Adventure Class did outstandingly well given the slippery wet, chalky conditions and persistent torrential downpours which didn’t seem to give up! Salisbury Plain was safely soaked, and after a solid morning of battling it out in some of the toughest conditions to endure on a big bike, several of the GS riders called it a day, happy to have given it a good crack, and determined to return to complete the course when the weather was a bit kinder.

Credit where it’s due to Geoffry Tasker on his 450 CCM who rode the entire event with his girlfriend riding pillion and scored the fewest points in Adventure Class for the day, despite needing a recovery about 10km from the finish, the pair still scored second place overall.  Maybe they’re onto something there? Whilst 2 up doesn’t seem too appealing for 170kms of off-road trail riding, a second brain and pair of eyes to assist with the navigation can only be a good thing, given the fact that mental fatigue is such a key obstacle to overcome in these types of events.

ADVENTURE RALLY EXTREME CLASS

Special mentions go to Charles Boulanger who had only just learnt the ropes of road booking on Saturday’s training day, although he clearly demonstrated his natural ability to navigate.  Taking a dive straight into the deep end he entered the event the following day in the extreme class and remained focused enough to score minimal points, placing him in fourth position overall in the class.
 
 

As mentioned there were plenty of seasoned rally riders in the extreme class this round, with a collective experience of riding events such as Hellas Rally, Merzouga Rally, Africa Eco Race and many more serious, multi day desert rallies. 

Who’d have thought we’d be able to offer them such a navigational challenge on our home soil at Salisbury?

It was Graham Jung on his KTM 990 Adventure, calm and smiling throughout the day, who scored the fewest points in extreme class placing him 3rd overall.

 

So with one more round in the calendar for this coming weekend, we’ve included the results on the league table to give the next entrants an idea of what they’re up against.  With points allocated for speeding and navigation errors the mission, whoever has chosen to accept it, should be to take the time to focus on the navigation rather than pegging it though the course.
This is a navigation dense exercise, with most suffering from mental fatigue more than anything towards the end of the day.  Staying energised, hydrated, and being prepared for all weather conditions will enable you to maximise the fun factor, as well as giving you the best chance  taking on a tough challenge.
Well done everyone for maintaining a fantastic attitude throughout a tough day, and for contributing to another successful and very enjoyable RallyMoto event.  
Bring on round 3!