As part of her training for the Dakar, Tamsin rode on Salt & Gold '08. We caught up with her for an interview a couple of days after she received her entry for 2010 making her the youngest British woman to compete in the race.

B. Why is this race so special, what does the Dakar mean to you?

T. The race is special because it is such a challenge in many ways – even getting to the start as it is so ridiculously expensive! Once you are bitten it gets under your skin and when you’ve got to do it you’ve got to do it. When I first started riding off–road about ten years ago the guys I used to ride with talked about the Dakar a lot and when I saw it on TV I was in awe. Wow, I wanted to do it. Desert rallies are a huge adventure. I love the challenges and fears you face, not just the physical side of things, but also the scary situations where you have to keep your head.
The Dakar to me is the biggest adventure, I want to be challenged and pushed to the limit.

B. You've notched up desert rallies in Qatar, Morocco and Tunisia. What’s been your scariest moment?

T. My scariest experience was on the first day of the Turaeg rally in Morocco when on a special stage I was behind a load of quad bikes in their dust, the desert to the side of them looked Ok to ride so I went flat out to get past them. I noticed a wooden post, then another, then another then something in between them – Barbed Wire!!! I was going to fast to try and stop so as it looked rusty and old my only choice was to try and snap it. When I hit it I could feel the posts pulling up behind me and it was a while before I let myself stop. I'd dragged miles of fencing behind me and somehow managed to stay on and stay alive.

B. How did it feel when you got the confirmation letter?

T. I kinda knew before I got the letter that I was in but it was still great to get it. I've framed it and hung it up so when I don’t feel like getting out there training in the cold and rain it will spur me on.

B. Riding on Salt & Gold '08 was part of your preparation for an African Dakar. Do you think the experience you gained in Mauritania and Mali will still be relevant for Argentina and Chile?

T. Yes, I think spending so much time on the bike whilst in Mauritania and Mali has really given me a taste of what it will be like. Also camping every night and thinking about what you really need to take with you. The Salt and Gold expedition was mostly in the sand and under desert heat. The Dakar in South America takes in a number of different altitudes but still has a lot of sand especially when it goes to the Atacama desert in Chile (known as the driest desert in the world). I really enjoyed the Salt and Gold trip, it was a different adventure, we had much more time to experience the country than you get on a rally. We stopped at the famous elephant rocks in Mauritania which the African rally passes, which are awesome. One Dakar competitor I spoke to said that he had ridden that stage a number of times and never got to see the rocks.

B. You are the second ever British woman to enter the Dakar, Patsy Quick was the first and now you are building your race bike together. It must be cool to have her take on things - has she had much advice for you?

T. Patsy competed many times on the Dakar so has a lot of knowledge which saves a lot of time for me. She has also built many rally bikes (mainly KTM’s) so she knows the pitfalls. Patsy is taking a few of us to Morocco in September so we can get used to the nav systems and following an actual Dakar roadbook. She’s also giving me a lot of advice about the admin side of the race.

B. The Dakar is billed as the hardest race in the world, do you think there are extra challenges as a female rider?

T. I don’t think that being a female rider will present extra challenges. Every competitor needs to train to improve on their weaknesses and make sure they are well prepared. I have learnt techniques to combat being shorter, lighter and maybe not as physically strong. My biggest strength is my determination.
The only slight problem might be finding a good spot to have a pee in the desert.

B. Tell us about the bike, what will you be riding?

T. I have decided to go with a Yamaha 450 WR. I’ve ridden one previously in a couple of rallies and I rode one on the Salt and Gold ’08 expedition to Timbuktu. I know the bike and feel comfortable on it. I want to built it as simple as possible so can hopefully fix it if I have any problems out there.

B. Six months to go... what are your plans between now and then?

T. Well I need to build the rally bike and get really fit. I am planning to cycle from John O’Groats to Lands End in October with a friend. We are doing it for the Alzheimer’s Society as both of our nan’s died of the disease.
Race wise I am doing the 24hr enduro Dawn til Dusk in Wales at the end of August, will hopefully get to Dunkirk to ride on the beach and have a week in Morocco with Patsy to practise using all the navigation gear.

We'll be following Tamsin's progress so stay tuned. You can follow Tamsin's blog here.