Juan Polcal, the first Spaniard to take on the Dakar: “Technology has changed everything. Without technology it would not have been possible. Now we understand everything.”

There are always those who pave the way for others, the first brave ones to try the unexplored. And if dakarthe first Spaniard to venture out was a journalist. juan poker. It was 1982 when he got into the car. Ossa dessert Participate in the world’s toughest rally in Africa, paving the way for generations to cross the desert and achieve great success.

More than 40 years later, this car remains a reference for Dakar enthusiasts. But as Juan Porker admitted in a brief conversation with his doctor, he never set out to be an example.

“At that moment, I wasn’t thinking of anything like that, of becoming a guru. What I thought was that I like adventure, and I also like competitions and the world of motorcycles. At that time, I was already competing in both motorcycles and cars, and I thought that the Dakar fit my professional life very well. During the summer I covered the World Motorcycle Championships, and in the winter I thought I could do this. From then on, I was hooked and eventually became a professional fighter in Africa. But I never thought I’d be able to come in first place.. It was after people reminded me. ”

Logically, today’s Dakar has changed a lot compared to what poker experienced over 40 years ago. In a meeting with other Dacalia legends, the Catalan explained that it’s now more of a race than a survival adventure, but it has something to do with the technology that exists now. But will I miss anything?

“Technology has changed everything, but what would happen if it didn’t? Technology brings security, which is welcome, but that security has eliminated adventure. Adventure requires a space of uncertainty, and what technology accomplishes is to eliminate that uncertainty. With technology, you know everything, you know where you are, they know where you are, they can talk to you…I think it was very good until GPS came along in 1992, but what’s happening now is also very good, because that’s the way it should be. ”

That example lives on

Poker explained why it is important to keep the spirit of the African version alive. It’s been almost 20 years since the congregation left the African continent, but their stories are what keep the memory alive.

“What we can contribute in some way It’s about continuing to be a competition to evaluate people.. This is not a contest you enter, then forget about. No matter when you run the Dakar, whether it was 40 years ago or now, you will never forget it. It marks you forever and this is a very good thing,” he said in conclusion.