RALLY DAKAR 2023

Joan Barreda: "I have thanked God for being here today

oan Barreda has lived one of those days in which the races take a back seat to situations in which something else is at stake. The man from Castellón has suffered a horrifying accident from which, fortunately, he has come out well, but as he himself recognized in the Ha'il camp, it could have ended much worse.

Toby Pice ran over him

It all happened in the last kilometers of the test, when I was riding in a group with Toby Price (KTM), Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) and Skyler Howes (Husqvarna): "With 30 km to go, although I don't know it completely either, I've had a fall in a camel grass area. The bike moved me from side to side, I fell but Toby was right next to me and he went over my helmet. It's badly damaged". The image gives, at least, respect...

In fact, when asked about his thoughts on seeing the helmet after the stage, his response was shocking: "I've been lucky because anything could have happened. I've thanked God for being here and continuing in the race, but above all for being well."

Barreda even lost consciousness for a few moments. This is how the protagonist told it: "I fell asleep (laughs). When you experience it, it is harder. It was from the impact, because it hit me on the helmet and I lost consciousness. The first image I have is of Pablo, Toby and Howes telling me if I was okay, not to move. Thank you once again."

Later he would rejoin, although still stunned by the blow: "I got up and spent a couple of minutes with Pablo. I got up and told him 'where is he going? Is there or here?' little by little I have been recovering the sensations". Barreda was checked in situ by the doctors and re-evaluated at the end of the special, but the sensations from him have always been good (within what an impact of this caliber supposes). "I don't have any gaps or something that I have trouble remembering, or coordinating, nothing. I feel good," he settled.

As he has done so many times during his career, Barreda will have to erase what happened today and go back to the "war": "Tomorrow you have to reset what happened today and go out. You have to be more careful than ever because There are many days left and the physique is already more tired. We started off well placed, it's a long stage and we don't know if it will also be as complicated as today", he concluded.

Author: Enrique Naranjo