PAVEY FINISHES 2005 DAKAR
17 January 2005 - BMW Motorrad GB

Following an agonising 17 days, 16 stages and a total of 9,039km, the 2005 Telefònica Dakar Rally came to an end as competitors completed the final day of the event on the Dakar stage to the finish, also in Dakar.

Team DOME BMW rider Simon Pavey has ridden the BMW Motorrad F650 GS through every hazard imaginable and finished the rally in 78th position overall.

For Pavey, completing this year’s event is a dream come true after being forced to retire at stage nine from last year’s rally because of a broken collarbone. Today however – after hundreds of racing kilometres that have challenged both the performance of Pavey’s BMW as well as his mental attitude – it was the only thing that mattered.

“I can’t describe what it feels like to complete the 2005 Dakar, everyone who took part and finished are on a big high – it’s such an awesome feeling. The last short stage today was great fun to ride. There were thousands of people on the streets and on the beach and it was such a nice way for the event to end.”

“There are a number of people I want to thank who have helped me enormously, especially Gareth, my support technician, who has been absolutely fantastic in attending to my BMW bike. Previously I have always had to fix it myself, so having him on board all the way has been amazing. Brian Vincent, my physiotherapist, has helped me exercise my injured wrist prior to the event and without him I wouldn’t have been fit to enter the rally.

“I’d like to thank my sister Tanya for all her support, and lastly my wife Linley who has been so supportive – before and during the event. She modified my rally gloves so that my injured wrist would be specially supported. I really couldn’t have done it without her.”

Out of 104 bikes, Simon is only one of two BMW riders to have completed the 2005 Telefònica Dakar Rally. The honorary Brit will enjoy the celebrations before making his way back to the UK in the next couple of days.

Having established himself as a winning contender early on in the rally, Frenchman Cyril Despres clinched his first ever title by being crowned the overall winner of the 2005 Telefònica Dakar Rally (he was second in last year’s event). Marc Coma took the podium in second position, with Alfie Cox in third.

www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

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