Dirthub: British woman will attempt the epic 1000 Dunas Challenge!
As seen in The dirthub: With the 1000 DUNAS RAID in Spain, a British motorbike rider, racer, and explorer Vanessa Ruck, 36, is pushing herself to new heights. This weekend, between Granada, Spain, and Rabat, Morocco, Vanessa, commonly known as “The Girl on a Bike,” will participate in the challenge while riding a Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro motorcycle.
The 1,200km cross-country rally raid will take several days to complete and involves traveling across unpredictable terrain, with loose rocks, ruts, riverbeds, and sand dunes to masterfully navigate. A roadbook is provided to traverse the route, putting navigational know-how to the ultimate test, while a wrong turn could land the rider in serious trouble. Mechanical and riding skills are critical to finishing the epic challenge.
Vanessa found her love for motorbikes seven years ago while recovering from a cycling accident. After a lengthy recovery involving multiple surgeries, she found a new way to quench her thirst for adventure with motorcycling, and never looked back. Having no previous rally experience, Vanessa became the first woman to have ever competed in the Tunisia Desert Challenge and has competed in numerous rallies since, including the notorious Red Bull Romaniacs, Qatar Baja, and Rallye du Maroc.
She has since made it her mission to break barriers and expectations, whether through upskilling her knowledge of motorcycle mechanics or mastering unforgiving terrain. If she completes the 1000 DUNAS challenge Vanessa will be the first female competitor to ride a standard adventure bike.
Ms. Ruck commented, “THE 1000 DUNAS RAID is a momentous challenge, not simply due to the terrain, which is physically enduring, but also the mental strain it takes to navigate the route. I’ve chosen the Tiger 900 Rally Pro as it is the ideal companion for me to step up the challenge and push the limits of what both motorbikes and I can do.”
With its generous ground clearance, excellent power-to-weight ratio, dedicated high-specification Showa suspension setup, sump guard and engine protection, rally offroad pro mode which disables ABS and traction control, and lightweight Brembo Stylema brakes, the Tiger 900 are as comfortable off-road as it is on. This is fortunate as Vanessa will ride the motorcycle from home in Wales to Granada, an epic 1,200-mile trip, before even starting the 1000 DUNAS RAID.
Before starting, Vanessa will spend some time at the Triumph Adventure Experience in Spain making minor adjustments to the stock Tiger 900 to ensure its versatility and reliability throughout the rally, including dialing in the suspension and fitting off-road focused tires as well as removing weight for speed and making deep sand recovery easier. She’ll be bringing essential equipment and spares such as oil filters, tires, and brake fluid, preparing her for various potential outcomes, while her bed for the night will be a simple bivouac tent.
For the rest of the DirtHub article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.
Vanessa Ruck Vanessa
