It goes back further than that , Destination Dakar Roadbook Adventures was born out of necessity , Burgess needed to teach himself new skills , he had only just come to the world of rallying , almost falling into it by accident , and realised that if he , as an Australian , was unable to navigate what about the other riders with aspirations ? Even two-time Dakar winner , Toby Price , struggled early on with the requirements of navigational riding .
“ I went on a mission to learn more ,” continues the Bendigo ( Victoria ) based rider . Training in Spain and Morocco , he realised that with the right mindset , the process can be broken down , simplified , and become second nature .
Burgess struggled in early events , often becoming lost or missing waypoints , then over thinking the process making it more of a challenge than was necessary , through teaching others he believes it has helped with his own navigation and riding needed to compete in events like the Dakar .
It is surprising that someone who is joining three other Australians ( Price , Daniel Sanders , and Andrew Houlihan ) in the dunes of Saudi Arabia in January initially had no interest in rallying . Yeah , he had heard of Dakar and occasionally watched the fortnight long event but never really followed proceedings .
“ I was never a mad Dakar fan ,” he shrugs , admitting he could never name the top riders .
Things were to change when a chance comment by a friend , Matt Fish , suggested the pair should do the Condo 750 , an event held in the Australian state of New South Wales and regarded as one of the nation ’ s best navigational rallies .
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