Speed in cross-country rallies is useless without good navigation. The ability to mark up and read a road book separates the BEST from the VERY VERY GOOD, especially in races like the Dakar Rally. KTM Rally Team Manager Jordi Viladoms thoroughly even prepares from factory riders down to absolute beginners for the use of this paper roll!
I also decided to go through the Viladoms RB Training School, even though I had already participated in other RB trainings in Spain. BAS DAKAR Team Manager Bart van der Velden with his experience of course also knows that such a training with Jordi Viladoms for a Dakar is as good as inevitable and vital for a Dakar!
BAS DAKAR Team Manger Bart van der Velden, Trainer Jordi Viladoms & der schoolboy Mike
“ Only minutes before the start of a special stage of each raceday , the riders receive their road book fpr the day's stage. Each rider has his own method of marking his road book, but the goal will stay the same - to make the reading, interpreting and implementing the recordings as clear and easy as possible!
The specified route, waypoints, etc. are noted on the RB (road book).
The fastest rider will not win a race if the RB is interpreted incorrectly and he takes wrong paths or directions!
Danger Zones, CAPs, Directions, Distances, Surface, Landmarks, Speedtraps and much more ( all in french language ! ) as well as the vital waypoints are to be followed!
At the very highest level, the best riders are prepared for curves and obstacles that are still miles away. It is this ability that sets the rally elite apart and enables them to maintain a consistently high pace during the special stages.
Anyone who thinks it would be easy to just follow the tracks with a start number 100 or higher is totally wrong.
The many tracks are so different and sometimes lead in all directions. Who is going to tell if the track is from a rider ahead OR just from a punch of Bedouins who drive this way regularily? You ALWAYS have to be 100% in sync with the RB and really navigate for yourself!
Mike with his training partner " Mason Klein " ... nafter a few " Directives " from Jordi Viladoms :)
For the Dakar 2022 I have to rely 100% on myself and trust my own RB! In view of the special stages of some 3000 kilometers of sand, dunes and desert, as well as the mental stress over 14 days, it will be even more difficult than the Rallye Morocco.
The requirement to not only survive my first Dakar and finish in Jeddah will probably depend primarily on my RB knowledge, on my physical condition and, of course, on a lot of LUCK! The material wear and tear from the bikes is extreme and not everyone will achieve the goal! It is not just the will that counts - the theory must also be mastered!
We ALL think to be ready after Jordi's Training - lets see if this will surface?