Chasing Dakar and RiderDown Foundation

[Tatonka]

*****PRESS RELEASE*****
CONTACT: info@riderdown.org

January 25, 2009
Evergreen, CO

Chasing Dakar and RiderDown Foundation

Johnathan Edwards MD, the author of Chasing Dakar and the RiderDown Foundation are joining hands in order to help those riders in need. Proceeds from the sale of each Chasing Dakar book will be donated to RiderDown. It’s simple, just buy the book from available resources such as Barnes & Noble bookstores, Amazon.com, Whitehorse gear, KTM dealers or the website (www.chasingdakar.com).

Chasing Dakar is the ultimate guide for motorcycle off-road enthusiasts everywhere who are searching for the extreme adventure riding experience. Everything you need to know about adventure riding and the Dakar Rally, from choosing and equipping your motorcycle to training and riding techniques, are found in Chasing Dakar. Learn how world-renowned off-road racers train, compete, and prepare. This guide will teach you how to prepare for the adventure ride of your life!

“When asked why would I want to donate the proceeds from my book to RDF, as a physician and team doctor for the Dakar rally for the last 5 years, I have been directly involved in many situations where the riders are injured and often in need of help from organizations like RiderDown. This is not the first time Chasing Dakar books have helped those in need, as RDF was able to auction off special autographed copies of Chasing Dakar to help those riders in need.” says Dr. Edwards.

Bruce Vermeulen, president of RiderDown, states, “We are honored to be recognized by Dr. Edwards for the work we do at RiderDown. He truly understands how great the need is for assistance to injured riders and their families. This is a very generous move on his part and we hope everyone will add this book to their collection!”

For more information on the book, Chasing Dakar, go to www.ChasingDakar.com.


About RiderDown Foundation:
With a nationwide network of volunteers ready to lend support and assistance to injured riders, RiderDown is actively giving back to the off road community. As a non-profit, 501©3 charitable organization, RiderDown has been delivering on its mission of “Helping Riders Up” since 2005. Dedicated to helping responsible off-road motorcyclists and ATV racers who have been injured while riding, proceeds are used to provide assistance to riders and their families when faced with medical expenses and related issues. The medical bill review team they work with has saved injured riders thousands of dollars on excessive and/or unnecessary medical charges and their “Angels” visit injured riders in the hospital and at home, offering a friendly voice during difficult times. To find out more about RiderDown and ways you can help, go to www.RiderDown.org or contact them at info@RiderDown.org.

[Tatonka]

Book Excerpts from Chapter One

* Jacky Ickx, the legendary Formula 1 champion, explains with passion why the Dakar Rally today is a race like none other: “The Dakar Rally is a true cure for those in search of youth. To finish, one must possess the fundamental desire to succeed, because the race brings out the person, and by the end, that person is changed forever.” The system we live in forces us to exist in an artificial world. Once a year the rally offers to the competitor a perspective of life outside of the modern world and a chance to return to the basics. It forces one to deal with nature and the desert, while looking directly into the face of the human race.

* Scot Harden and many others host adventure camps where riders from many different backgrounds come looking for something new. Adventure riding means that the rider and motorcycle are self sufficient, which is different from other disciplines of motorcycle riding. Most rides involve various terrains and conditions. For example, Harden Off-Road hosts the “Nevada Rally Experience,” which starts in the desert and finishes in the mountains of Nevada. Variables such as tire choice, gear selection, rider skill and physical conditioning become very important when planning an adventure ride.

* Riding and rally racing is simple: an adventure ride involves finding the way through various conditions and terrain; a rally is a very long adventure ride combined with a race. It is essentially a mass movement of motorcycles, cars and trucks from place to place in an organized fashion over vast terrains usually not accessible by standard road vehicles. In fact, many riders compete in the Dakar Rally not to win the race, but just to complete the journey.

* The Rally brings out the character of each person, who he or she really is, and how one responds to danger and nature. The rally is long, filled with exciting lands both exotic and sometimes mundane, crossing many different cultures.

* Expanding into one of the greatest races of this century, the Dakar Rally is a fully televised event, with air transportation, medical hospital, fuel service and meals for the 2000 people who inhabit the bivouac daily. Return to the human adventure The Dakar Rally is truly a test of human endurance where motorcycles, cars and trucks pass through deserts, sand dunes, rocks, villages and many different cultures. It usually spans over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) in about 20 days. The biggest challenges are the desert and endurance, according to Jean-Louis Schlesser, a long time competitor of the rally. An incredible race unlike any other, one observes the environment, the preparation of each competitor, their habits, their ingenuity, the inventions The seemingly neverending sand dunes encountered in Africa make these found in North American small in comparison.

* The Dakar Rally demands preparation on many levels: physically, technically and morally. About 300 hundred motorcycles, 200 cars and over 50 trucks start this endurance event, and less than fifty percent arrive in Dakar. The difficulty of the race is unparalleled.

[Tatonka]

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