N° 189 - TEAM DAKAR TECK AVENTURE
 - OLIVEIRA
- Pedro
- PRT
- 28/06/1974
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Pedro Oliveira takes off for his second Dakar with mixed feelings. First of all, of course, the Portuguese rider feels intense joy at the idea of returning on “the supreme event of World off-road”. But the desire of revenge is also present, diffuse, and discreet. “I had to quit my first Dakar due to a mechanical break down on the 7th day of the race”, says Pedro. He then tempers immediately – “it was a sensational experience” – the thirty-year-old can only admit that his biggest desire today is to finish the race.
Indeed this businessman, father of two, deeply likes the Dakar. He speaks of it with tenderness. “If I go on the race, it isn’t for the challenge. It isn’t to go beyond myself. It’s for the community of riders. At the bivouac, with the Portuguese, we’re a family. Generally speaking, the race makes me think of a big city, always moving. I will be an inhabitant of this city”.
This year, Pedro seems to be at the height of his challenge. “I rode all year in the Portuguese championship and I followed an intense physical training”, he announces. After 15 years of intensive enduro riding, he knows what he’s talking about. “On a bike, the physical aspect is key. The will power comes in part from the physical strength. With the long specials of this edition, it’s important to be physically prepared”. In the difficult moments, this bike fanatic also knows that he will be able to count on the wholehearted support of his family and friends, “who will follow his course on internet”. He says he’s ready to “give everything because the bike is more than a passion. It’s a way of life”.