Fernando and Juancar’s journey as they slept in the middle of the Dakar desert to reach their goal: “I had to dig a hole in the sand to sleep”

Fernando Dominguez and Juancar Torres They spent one of their life’s adventures here. Dakar 2026 Stage 6. It was a long special covering 326km of sand dunes, and it was night for the two Spanish bike riders. They couldn’t continue. They had to try to sleep as much as possible in the secluded dunes. It is only 11km away.

Fernando was at 236 km.meanwhile Torres had to spend the night in 247waiting for Solo to leave again so he can finish stage 6 and connect the subsequent 267km of road to reach camp. Riyadh.

“I just want a bowl of soup.”

Juancal was the first to arrive at the capital’s bivouac after an unforgettable day, his debut in the world’s toughest test. “I just want a bowl of soup.”he said. natural Albaceteto youAt 52 years old, he is a corporal with the Toledo Fire Department.a job that got him fighting a lot of fires last summer, and thanks to that he’s used to experiencing extreme conditions. That night helped him think about how to best get through it.

“My arm was numb and I knew by 4pm I wasn’t going to make it. when night came left the truck For security. I had a headlamp with a position light and placed it on the bike so that cars wouldn’t hit it. Or a truck that was so broken that it left the track in search of a new track. And I punched a hole in the sand,” he revealed to the MD, his face covered in dust.

“I dug it like a grave and tried to keep my body level with the ground. I was there wearing a raincoat, a couple of buffs and a helmet that served as a pillow.”Before the organization’s team arrived and made sure he was safe to make a report, in addition to the Dakar cameras, he recalled. However, a sandstorm changed their plans.

“Then the wind started blowing so hard that I couldn’t stay in the hole and looked for the leeward side of the formation.. And then I fell asleep again behind the wheel of the car,” Torres added, eating gel and guava sweets. He woke up around 5am.

“I waited for the sun to come out a little bit more to warm myself up. I started moving to get a little bit more warmth, and I knew I could keep going, so I kept going.”

But another problem arose on the bike. The remains of the bike from the previous day had been erased by a sandstorm.

Despite the accumulated fatigue, I had to complete the last few kilometers of the special run, concentrating on the roadbook and interpreting it without fail. And he did it.

But his adventure wasn’t over. this firefighter He decided to make his dream come true. 2026 Dakar debut, Pedrega team structurebut his budget was tight, so he did not hire the services of a mechanic. So after that adventure he still had to fix the bike This will be the entire second week of the Dakar. “Now, God willing, toward the final goal.”he said.

Locals visited Dominguez

Eleven kilometers further back was Fernando Dominguez. pilot of basin compete in This will be his third participation in the Dakar, following the 2021 and 2023 competitions. He proposed a return in 2024 to raise the bar and reach the finish line in the toughest category: Original by MOTUL.as in the past, motorcycle riders competing in the Dakar must repair their bikes with their own hands every day and sleep in tents after a long day of riding without mechanical support.

However, he broke his collarbone and six ribs and had to postpone his adventure until 2025.But right before that, I injured my knee. Finally, he was able to achieve his goal of competing in the original Dakar in 2026. And I did so knowing that one day I would have to sleep outside.

“I knew it would happen within a day or two. I had two thermal blankets on the bike, a raincoat, and as long as I was wearing bike clothes, I was fine. But at 2am the sandstorm started. I crouched under the bike and slept as much as I could.” Fernando declared, “You can’t dig a hole to sleep there because the sand was frozen.”

“There were some locals who saw my reflective vest and offered to load up their bikes and take me somewhere I could sleep rather than leave me there. It was brutal and unbelievable. And they offered me tea, water and food.”Remember. And there he tried to rest. “He was just lying on the ground, helmet, glasses, everything, just like he was riding a motorcycle, and he was wearing a raincoat to avoid the sand.”. “I slept like this to avoid insects and other things,” he said.

Later, a car belonging to the organization arrived with a television camera and recorded him. In fact, he was woken up by a camera flash after a few hours of sleep. And when night fell, he traveled the last few kilometers, leaving almost no footprints. He arrived at the camp exhausted. He had to build a motorcycle. He had a lot of work ahead of him. But first, he was clear about his priorities. “Come on, I’ll fix your bike. But before that, I was thinking about eating and lying down for a while.” “My back and wrist are broken.”he shouted.