To Dakar and Back 21 Days Across North Africa by Motorcycle

The ParisDakar Rally is without question the most arduous and notorious offroad motorsports event on the planet. Since its inception in 1979, it has attracted more than 3,000 adventurers from all walks of life. The men and women who have taken up the "Dakar challenge" have at least one thing in common: a desire to measure themselves against the desolate sands of the Sahara. The rally has drawn entries from the international community of motorsport luminaries, the lofty ranks of European nobility and celebrity, captains of industry, as well as common, everyday people. ParisDakar is considered to be one of the worldrs"s top five adventures, in the same league as climbing Mt. Everest. The human drama that unfolds each January is unparalleled. Tales of danger, blinding sandstorms, endless vistas of towering dunes, incredible hardship, perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity, triumph, and tragedy have greatly contributed to the aura and mystique of the rally. The Dakar is a metaphor for life - a test of common sense, decisionmaking ability, and the ability to accept complete responsibility for both your actions and inaction. Perhaps the ultimate test of human perseverance, no matter how you roll the dice ParisDakar is a grueling enterprise: you either survive to race another day - or you donrs"t. In To Dakar and Back, Hacking - in collaboration with motorsport journalist Wil De Clercq - recounts the three weeks of blood, sweat, and tears that took him on a 10,000 kilometre journey - in the heat of competition - from the glitzy streets of Paris, through the hinterland of North Western Africa, to the triumph of selfrealization.

Lawrence Hacking is a professional motorcycle racer who became the first Canadian to finish the Paris-Dakar Rally. He lives in Georgetown, Ontario. Wil De Clercq is a freelance writer whose connection to the outlaw biker world dates back to the 1960s. He lives in St. Catherines, Ontario.