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Another local village.

People live a very basic lifestyle out here.

Another self portrait. Fatigue is well and truely set in.

Local traffic starting to build up.

If you could see through the dust, there was a blue sky.

The local ranger at Tamacounda had a display of prohibited goods.

The white boxes are the trunks belonging to the riders. One for each rider is carried in the ELF plane to each overnight stop.

Each day they are unloaded then loaded back on the plane ready for the next stop.

My 5 seconds of fame....well at Tambacounda, which is the last stop before Dakar.

Not your average trail bike. Purpose built for desert racing. The KTM 690 looks the goods.

The winning machine for 2007....just a few days to go.

Cyril Despres gives another interview. TV coverage of this event is massive in Europe.

This is what $30,000,000 gets you...including four race cars.

Not the most flattering shot of myself. A visit to the medical tent was in order when I could not walk properly for the past 10 days. Partial paraylisis in my right leg will do that!

Photo: Christophe Barriere-Varju

After last years event, Christophe got to know the medical staff quite well. It was time for a catch up!

Ennio and myself. Not far to go now. We were both exhausted.

Just some of the 12 tonnes of communication equipment that travels each day.

A small village in a barren desert.

The morning sun rises through the dust over a sleepy village.

As soon as the trucks pull up, the villagers come out to greet us.

Everyone loves the Dakar circus.

A few more horses here instead of donkeys.

No OHS rules in Africa. Load her up and strap in on with whatever you can find.

This is the main road in Dakar. The road is full of people selling everything from sunglasses to phone cards as the traffic crawls along.

Thats our assistance truck. It made the journey to Dakar incedent free.

You know this race is dangerous when the assistance vehicles must have your blood group listed on the door.

The last bivouac was on the lawns of the Merridian Hotel in Dakar, Senegal.

Ennio pulls into Dakar minutes before the cut off with the sweep vehicle behind him. Christophe and I had already packed everything away and been out for a lobster dinner by the water!

The final day of racing. Local stores have one more chance to sell some goods on the shores of Lac Rose.

The crowd gathering at the finishing podium.

Ennio Cuccurachi finished last in 132nd position, but at least he finished. So many others did not make it.

Christophe gives me a lift onto the podium.

Photo: Thierry Arnout

The Australian flag carried signatures and names on it from Dakar fans in Australia. Christophe would then send the flag to Andy Caldecotts father.

Photo: Thierry Arnout

Christophe holds his finishers trophy. He finished a credible 64th. 250 riders started the event, only 132 finished.

Photo: Thierry Arnout

The Gauloise KTM team were triumphant.

Cyril Despres now has two Dakar victories to his name.

Jean-Louis Schlesser might be a privateer but third outright in a two wheel drive buggy is a mighty effort.

Schlesser has been a previous Dakar victor.

One of the TV helicopters following the event. A total of ten helicopters travelled each stage to Dakar

The entire Schlesser team joined Jean-Louis on the podium.

Stephane Peterhansel took his Mitsubishi to another Dakar victory.

Some entertainment for the crowd.

Patrice broke his foot on the penultimate stage. He had to cut open his boot and tape his foot inside so he could ride the final day and finish the race. Patrice finished in 27th position.

Photo: Denis Martin

Robbie Gordon was one proud American.

Robbies hummer was a beast!

Mark Millers Volkswagen Touareg

The cockpit of a Mitsubishi Dakar vehicle.

Hiroshi Masuoka's Mitsubishi

Ennio's KTM 660 Rallye looking a little worse for wear after the race.

The small bear on his handlebars was a good luck gift from his family. The bear survived with a few injuries.

A close up shot of the navigation gear with broken brackets held together with cable ties. Anything to get you to the end....

Not quite the bike it was back in Portugal.

I know more about this bike than I was planning on.....

I told Ennio I did not want to see his bike again! At the end of the race Ennio told me "it is not my victory, it is your victory".