Want to know something awesome? Nicola Dutto became the first-ever paraplegic rider to complete the Africa Eco Race, an ultra-tough 4,000km 12-stage off-road rally in Northern Africa. That’s right, the man can’t use his feet BUT he rode his specialised KTM and gave other able-bodied competitors a run for their money! (more…)
As the 2019 Dakar Rally ends, we searched for a name in vain. The rider is Nicola Dutto, the first paraplegic rider to compete in the rally. It turned out that he was disqualified!
As we wrote earlier, Nicola Dutto relies on a three-person team of “ghost riders” to assist him during the punishing 10-day rally. One rides ahead to choose lines and two as spotters in case Dutto needed to stop or drops the bike.
On Day Four, the spotter Julian Villarrubia’s bike started to lose power. The team took three hours to get it going again, before failing again just minutes later. The team discussed the situation and left Villarrubia to ride on.
Unfortunately, Victor Rivera’s bike started running poorly. The team limped to the next checkpoint. They notified the officials that Julian and his bike needed to be recovered. Apart from that, they also asked if they could ride to the night’s camp on the highway, since Dutto has only one spotter. The team was prepared to receive a time penalty for not completing the set course.
Many calls went back and forth among the officials before Dutto and his remaining support riders was allowed to continue on the highway, provided they agreed on a time penalty.
“We followed the direction of the marshals,” says Nicola in a video posted by Vicair, one of his sponsors and special seat maker, “and when we arrived at the bivouac the race director said we were out of the race because we must follow all the tracks.”
Adding insult to injury, the organizing committee refused to explain the disqualification. Instead, they posted that Dutto and his team failed to start the day.
The heart-breaking news triggered a worldwide firestorm of criticism against the organiser’s director, Etienne Lavigne.
Needless to say, Dutto and his team were devasted as they had spent much time and money to participate in the rally. The riders many fans were also saddened to hear the news.
We hope the team could put this unfortunate episode behind them and come back stronger for the 2020 edition.
We know how tough the Dakar Rally is on able bodied athletes, but Nicola Dutto is out to prove to himself that a paraplegic can compete in the event.
Dutto was the 2008 and 2009 European Baja Champion. Unfortunately, a crash in the 2010 European Baja in Italy left him paralyzed.
But he bounced back to race in the 2011 event in a Polaris buggy. Yet he knew that there was nothing like the man and machine synergy of riding a motorcycle. He experimented with roll cages to protect his lower body. Entering Spain’s Baja Aragon four months later, he finished 24th.
This achievement inspired Dutto to compete in the Dakar Rally as the first paraplegic.
To help with his disabilities, Dutto made a number of modifications to his KTM 450 EXC-F. The clutch is electric, and the rear brake lever is moved to the handlebar. wheelchair cushion specialists Vicair build a seat for support. Dutto needed protection from the punishing shocks as he is unable to stand up while off-roading in rough terrain. A roll cage is fitted to protect his lower body, while his legs are secured with a three-point harness.
However, Dutto needs to rely on his team to ride effectively. It consists of his one-time rivals Julián Villarrubia, Pablo Toral and Victor Rivera. One rider will ride ahead to scan the terrain and be Dutto’s spotter when he stops. The other two riders will help to pick Dutto up in case he falls.
Dutto is still going strong at the end of the Dakar 2019 Stage 2. Let’s look out for this extraordinary rider and his team.
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