As seen in The Club Moto: Incredible outcomes in a difficult raid wherein the 4 collaborating Triumphs efficiently crossed the end line.

The passion for motorcycles and for adventure, as well as the desire to excel, have united the 66 participants of the 1000 Dunes raid in what has been one of the most demanding and exciting experiences of their lives, covering all kinds of lands across two continents. 

The Plateau de Rekam, the infinite slopes of Bouarfa or the majestic dunes of Merzouga have been some of the impressive territories that have been crossed. An experience in which Triumph, which continues to take steps in its firm commitment to off-road, has been more than victorious.

The effort and work of the drivers who faced this challenge on the back of their Triumphs has resulted in  enormously positive results in a particularly tough edition . And although the difficulty of the route has taken its toll on part of the caravan, with several abandonments and re-enlistments in the following days, the four British mounts that have participated in the challenge have successfully completed it, highlighting the performance, resistance and the mechanical reliability of the Tiger in the toughest conditions.

Iván Cervantes has won first place on the podium, not only piloting masterfully, but also sailing with a very high degree of efficiency, as he has reached 95.5% of the maximum theoretical score in his category (he has achieved 1,390 points of 1455 possible, taking into account both the validated Waypoints and the penalties). And that Cervantes had not navigated with a roadbook since the Dakar 2018.

An unbeatable end of the year for the award-winning rider who is closing an intense season, in which he has not only been immersed in the development and testing of Triumph’s future motocross and enduro range, but has also once again tasted the honeys of success in renowned competitions such as Baja Aragón and Bassella Race1. But in addition to his great result,  the Triumph flag bearer has taken on a not easy challenge in this edition of 1000 Dunas, since together with Miguel Puertas, he acted as a coach and advisor for the rest of the riders.  

Thus, his day never ended when the bikes rested. At that time,  he took the opportunity to share experiences with the other pilots, amateurs and professionals , and to focus on the former, offering tricks and advice , in order to improve their performance the next day and, ultimately, their experience.

With his Tiger 900 Rally Pro, the same one with which he participated in the Baja Aragón, already in the Parc Fermé,  Cervantes took stock of the experience :  “It has been an incredible adventure of more than 1,500 km. The performance of the bike has been perfect on all the terrains we have encountered: gravel, sand, mud, rocks and river crossings; and once again we have been able to show how capable the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is. I would like to thank the Triumph Spain team for their constant support throughout the rally, as this has allowed me to focus on achieving the best possible result” .

THE MECHANIC WHO CROSSED MOROCCO TO REACH THE PODIUM OF THE 1000 DUNAS

For his part, Josu Orozko,  riding a 2012 Tiger 800 XC, finished in a more than creditable third place in the Trail category.  The amateur rider was the winner of the Triumph Scholarship |1000 Dunes and until now he had only participated in short off-road navigation tests, never in such a demanding raid.

The one from Bilbao became the protégé of Iván Cervantes, with whom he shared a tent and cabin, and who waited for him every day at the end of the stage to take an interest in him and help him face the next day. The ties between the two drivers became so close that Iván even gave him one of his tires and mounted it himself on Josu’s rim, who has discovered that in addition to being a brilliant driver, he is a formidable person.

Josu is the perfect example of how  hard work and tenacity, along with some more than appreciated advice and a machine to trust, are key  in a challenge like the 1000 Dunes. Already from home, Orozko declared: “It has been a very ‘heavy’ experience, I have lived very bad moments and very good ones. The body is falling apart for days, I think my bike was the oldest of all and navigation is very complicated, although there comes a time when you get the ‘feeling’ and that’s when you learn and really enjoy. I still have a thorn in my side from an important mistake I made in stage 3, but I can’t ask for more, since I managed to get a podium finish. I do not have enough words to thank Iván for everything he has helped me and I have also felt very supported by the Triumph Spain team. Everything has been amazing.”

FROM ENGLAND TO THE DESERT OF MOROCCO WITH A SERIES MOTORCYCLE

Vanessa Ruck ,  who participated with her partner Aled Price in the Hard Trail category, both riding  Tiger 900 Rally Pro trails , has become the  first female finisher of the 1000 Dunes at the controls of a series trail bike.  This British pilot is the living image of overcoming. She fully entered the world of motorcycles after suffering a serious bicycle accident, which made her go through surgery up to 7 times.

An accident that took place approximately 8 years ago, almost a decade in which she has not stopped outdoing herself. An example? Ruck hadn’t trained on the Triumph he’s raced with , in fact,  he got on it for the first time to make the road and ferry trip to Andalucia. Once there, he visited the Triumph Adventure Experience in Malaga, where he unpacked, fitted the knobby tires and spent a day familiarizing himself with the Tiger 900 Rally Pro in an off-road environment before embarking on his new adventure into the desert. .

Her balance of the raid is as determined as herself:  “The 1000 Dunes has been much more difficult than expected to the point that every day I got on the bike with the aim of surviving. I used all the strength of my body and mind to get to the finish, and it feels like an incredible achievement to have pushed both the bike and myself to the limit. I would get back on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro tomorrow. I loved this bike.”

For the rest of the Club Moto article see here.

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