Dakar hero Charan Moore attributes success to South Africans' 'vasbyt' attitude

"This year's race was so tough. It was physically one of the toughest things I've done."

This is how South Africa's Charan Moore described the 2023 Dakar Rally, having endured one of the most challenging Dakars to date. And it wasn't just Moore who felt the impact. Every competitor from every class and category said the same thing: this year's race was really difficult.

However, while it was the case, no one complained about it. In fact, from start to finish, riders and drivers revelled in the experience, with Moore, especially, saying that he'd have it no other way.

"The weather, the length of the stages, the difficulty of the stages... it was so brutal. But it's also what you want out of it. I wanted it to be tough," Moore said from Saudi Arabia before boarding a flight back home.

A post shared by News24 Sport (@news24.sport)

It's the Dakar life

Moore opted to participate in one of the toughest classes in the race, the 'Original by Motul', better known as Malle Moto, and did exceptionally well. Yet, while he came out on top, he was never guaranteed the class win, thanks to Spain's Jari Vega.

Vega was a thorn in Moore's side from start to finish, with the two riders pushing to the limit as they tried to extract the slightest advantage over the other. In addition to duelling Vega, Moore also had to contend with the elements and take care of his #40 Husqvarna motorbike himself.

READ: How SA hero Charan Moore overcame death of Dakar 'brother' to win world's toughest race

"I set myself a goal ahead of the race, and that was to ride and do my best every single day," he explained.

"The competition with Jari was never an issue. My focus was to do my best every single day. Win or lose, as long as I put my 100% in, I would have been happy