Allan Roberts Finishing Dakar on the first attempt
Victorian-born mechanic Allan Roberts, 36, entered and finished his first Dakar in 2014. Nowadays he works offshore from Exmouth, WA, but Allan once rode from London to Australia through Africa, Arabia, Iran, Russia, Mongolia and China. The ride will be the subject of a book to be released shortly, and Allan’s hoping sales will help finance his next Dakar.
AdvR: You must be really impressed to finish your first Dakar, tell us how you feel?
AR: If somebody had handed me the script for the 2014 Dakar and all that unfolded I would have laughed at it. For 180 riders to start, only 78 cross the finish line, and for me to cross 39th in my first Dakar, and one of the hardest in recent times, makes me feel very proud of myself. It’s a dream come true. All the hard work and patience was worth it.
Sometimes I have to remind myself: I just finished the Dakar!