- Charan Moore says his success at this year’s Dakar Rally can be attributed to his always-persevering South African mentality.
- Moore says this year’s Dakar was more difficult than the last, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Moore’s love of bikes and drag racing was instilled by his father.
“This year’s race was very tough. Physically it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
That’s how Charan Moore from South Africa described the 2023 Dakar Rally, having endured one of the most challenging Dakars to date. And it wasn’t just Moore who felt the impact. All the competitors in all classes and categories said the same thing: this year’s race was really tough.
However, while that was the case, no one complained about it. In fact, from start to finish, the drivers and pilots reveled in the experience, and Moore especially said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The weather, the length of the stages, the difficulty of the stages… it was so brutal. But it’s also what you want from it. I wanted it to be difficult,” Moore said from Saudi Arabia before boarding a flight. back home
It’s the life of the Dakar
Moore opted to take part in one of the toughest classes of the race, the ‘Original by Motul’, better known as Malle Moto, and he did exceptionally well. However, although he came out on top, he was never guaranteed victory in the class, thanks to Spaniard Jari Vega.
Vega was a thorn in Moore’s side from start to finish, with both riders pushing to the limit while trying to get the slightest advantage over the other. In addition to dueling with Vega, Moore also had to brave the elements and take care of his #40 Husqvarna bike himself.
READ: How SA hero Charan Moore overcame the death of his ‘brother’ on the Dakar to win the world’s toughest race
“I set myself a goal before the race, and it was to run and do my best every day,” he explained.
“Competition with Jari was never a problem. My focus was to do my best every day. Win or lose, as long as I put in my 100%, I would have been happy with where I ended up.”
charan moore
Every day is a challenge
Problems and technical gremlins were never far behind, and Moore nearly cost him his chance to win the Malle Moto.
At the end of Stage 11, Moore conceded the Malle Moto lead to Vega, but exceptional riding saw him close the gap and retake the lead at the end of Stage 13. On Stage 14, his final one, he extended his lead, winning with a 21-minute controller in your pocket.
“What stopped me was problems with the bike. A fuel pump problem cost me 25 minutes one day, then a gearbox problem a couple of days after I had built up a lead, and I had to change the engine by myself. Then the next day, a problem with the radiator!”
READ: Flu, fatigue, death: how SA’s Kirsten Landman conquered her toughest Dakar yet
Moore explains how, as part of Malle Moto, every problem or gremlin had to be solved, whether it was during a stage or at night in the bivouac. And when spare parts or resources were limited, MacGyver would have to check the situation.
“My father took pride in teaching me how to work on a bike, the mechanical side of things, and without that, I would have gone under,” Moore explains, before attributing his success this year to the South African attitude.
“Combine this year with all the years of racing on rocks and mud, and the ‘*vasbyt’ attitude of us South Africans, that’s what really brought it home.”
*Persevere.
charan moore
