Thixton takes Dakar preparations to Khawa
ZIMBABWE’S Ashley Thixton has moved a gear up in his final preparations for next year’s Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia and has taken his training regime to the deserts of Botswana.
Thixton, Zimbabwe’s motocross champion rider, is set to make his debut appearance in the Dakar Rally which is set to run from January 5 to 19 in the dunes of Saudi Arabia.
This is certainly going to be his biggest and most challenging assignment in his long career as a motorbike rider.
And the 30-year-old Zimbabwean motorbike rider is determined not to make up the numbers during the 2024 Dakar Rally where he will be among 137 male and female bikers from all over the world who have entered for the bike section of the toughest motor rally event in the world.
Thixton has vowed to last the distance at the Dakar Rally and to make sure that he doesn’t come short at this big global event, he is currently on a three-day training camp in the desert area of Khawa in the middle of Botswana.
The training camp started yesterday. Speaking to Zimpapers Sports yesterday from Botswana, Thixton said the desert dunes of Khawa are just as tough as those in Saudi Arabia and they will help him and his bike to get used to these tough conditions ahead of the rally.
“We are now here in Khawa in the middle of Botswana for our final preparations for the Dakar Rally.
“It’s a three-day training camp in this desert area and it will really help me in my final preparations for Dakar,” Thixton said.
Khawa is a desert area in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located in the southern part of the district and the annual Khawa desert challenge is held there.
And Thixton will this week be hitting the sands of Khawa as he toughens himself up ahead of the Dakar Rally which is now less than a month to go before it revs off in the Middle East country.
During his brief stay in Botswana, Thixton will also be exchanging some notes with one of the seasoned rally campaigners — Ross Branch of Botswana.
Thixton said he will this week meet up with the Dakar Rally legend Branch “to take on some road books as (part of) my final preparations for Dakar 2024.”
At the rally next year, 434 vehicles will take part, spanning a variety of classes such as cars, motorcycles, quad bikes, trucks, and lightweight vehicles.
The event will host 590 participants from 187 teams in the main rally.
And it is all systems go as the rally hits the sands of Saudi Arabia for the fifth time.
The rally, to be held from January 5 to 19, is shaping up to outdo its predecessors with a new course that commences in Al-Ula, passes through the Empty Quarter, and finishes in Yanbu. Come the New Year, the global motorsport community will turn its gaze to Saudi Arabia for an exhilarating event featuring 778 drivers and navigators from 72 nations, including a significant presence from France, Spain, and Italy.
The event will host 590 participants from 187 teams in the main rally and an additional 174 in the Dakar Classic category.
Competitors are categorized into 135 Rookies, 129 Legends, and 31 contenders in the Original by Motul Challenge. Female participation is notable, with 46 women competing, 34 of whom will be in the classic category.
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