“Once again, Dakar gives you an open hand”

“I would be happy if Gerard Farrés won the Dakar. If there is the most, it is him.” These words were repeated by two of his rivals for winning the Dakar 2023 after stage 10, Oriol Menaco-driver of Marek Goczal, and Oriol Vidalco-driver of the current leader of the light vehicle category derived from the series, Rokas Baciuska. The Catalan fought freely, without the orders of the team, to achieve the dream of a lifetime. comes from a 2022 where he had the greatest chance of winning. I could have done it if he didn’t stop in the final stage, following which the team asked him, to let his teammate Jones pass to give him the victory. A year later, he was given the chance to fight it all without having to carry a backpack. And he met the challenge, reach the final 4 stages just 6 minutes from the lead. But on stage 11, when he was marching fast and lost little time to reach the bivouac for the marathon stage (without the mechanical assistance of the regulation at the end of this special), he suffered a problem that caused he will say goodbye to his chance of success.

Gerard arrives to sink into the ‘Empty Quarter’ camp. Bad mood. Frustrated. Feel all the pain in the world for the damage his car suffered on a cheap part. A simple fan broke and it started a chain problem that led to an increase in temperature in the vehicle and loss of water. Diego Ortega, his co-driver, was able to solve the problem à la ‘MacGyver’ with what he found and thanks to the water given to him by a vehicle they found in the special. They reached the finish line, but they knew their fight to win was over.

“Dakar hits you again with a wide open hand. Another mechanical problem. A worthless fan broke due to vibrations, stopped working and caused the car to overheat and lose of water”Gerard pointed out, broken inside.

“We have had to stop and start until we have found a car with water, we have been able to ask him. Diego (Ortega, his co-driver) then made an invention that has allowed us to arrive,” he added, highlighting the bitter part of this race, which again became cruel in its interests.

“In the end you stopped fighting for victory but here you are. If we’re still waiting for a (help) truck… Yesterday we talked and I said, it can happen to me or anyone. Any nonsense you can’t control leaves you, this breed is unforgiving. You can be connected, we, but it does not depend on us”, taught

“How angry! It’s impotence, but it’s the Dakar, breakdowns are part of it, the problem is when you’re not looking for them…”, he exclaimed to finish. Gerard Farrés, who goes year after year with his projects, not knowing what the Dakarian life he loves so much but forcing him to work hard will bring him, he has to wait another year to try again.