kilometres raced against the clock , Howes feels the long nature of the rally , as well as the increased value placed on accurate navigation , should suit his skills and style .
“ I ’ m really looking forward to beginning the 2023 Dakar Rally adventure that awaits us . I ’ m super excited to get started actually , this year I feel a lot more relaxed than at previous Dakars , and that is great for my confidence . Of course , there is still a lot of riding and racing that faces us over the next two weeks or so , and it ’ s definitely going to be a tough Dakar . But it ’ s these longer , more challenging events that seem to suit my riding and my mindset . There are going to be a lot of changes this year with new the rules and that means different strategies , but I think it ’ s good . It ’ s always tricky when they bring in these rule changes , but we ’ re all in the same boat here and we ’ ll have to figure it out as best we can . At the end of the day , all I can do is my best , and that ’ s what I plan to do – have a cool , fun time racing my Husqvarna through Saudi Arabia .”
Only time will tell who comes out on top . Racing kicks off December 31 , 2022 , finishing January 15th .
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VOL . 8 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2023 // PAGE 137