Big Shock Racing’s Jan Brabec has begun his preparations for the Dakar 2020. A setback occurred after a week of testing at the end of May in the Tunisian desert, after an unpleasant fall and fracture of the foot, toes and ribs, and back contusion, resulting in rescue, surgery, transfusion and a hospital stay in Djerba. After the transport to the Czech Republic, Brabec was waiting for further surgeries at the Traumatology Hospital in Brno. Last week, however, doctors pulled all the excess iron out of his body, the Czech rider dropped the cast and without undue delay embarked on further training before the Dakar 2020. The new Dakar motorbike, freshly parked in the garage, also aided in improving his condition. ‘I’m already in the gym, will be sitting on a motorcycle in a month, then riding the Rallye du Maroc in two months. It’s all in the head. The most important thing is motivation and a positive mind,’ the rider, who is feeling much better, said. Who would have thought that he will be more cautious after the hardships he experienced, he is wrong. ‘I’m not going to brake. I follow the motto: train the way you will race. Falls are a part of it. If anything, I’ll push even harder,’ Brabec added.

You cannot not turn off

After Jan’s accident, teammates and dad Libor were transported to a private clinic in Djerba, where Jan underwent fracture surgery and also transfusion when a hematoma on his back caused a lack of blood. ‘I have to praise the Tunisian hospital, they have taken care of me perfectly. I am still in contact with the doctor who operated on me. The local Minister of Culture even came to see me. I don’t remember much of the meeting, but he brought me a flower and it was nice,’Brabec remembered. After a week the rider was stabilized and transported to the Czech Republic. From the airport he went straight to the Traumatological Hospital in Brno, where further surgeries took place. After another 14 days, Jan was finally at home and from that moment his health started to improve rapidly. Nikol Haniková, his girlfriend, also had a role in the smooth running of the convalescence. ‘At least I’ll have something to say during the ‘Obsessed with Dakar’. We already have booked the rooms. We’re going on tour in February. Matej and I were afraid whether we would have any new stories, but it seems that there will be no shortage,’Jan added.

Honza takes the recent fall and the difficulties associated with it as another experience. ‘When I tried to crawl to the bivouac after the blow, Gabriel Trojcak’s mental coaching helped me, too. You must can’t just turn off, but if you remain conscious after the fall, it is important to keep it together, not panic, and deal with the situation. This is a useful experience for the Dakar,’Brabec, who hopes that this was his deal of crashes for this year’s Dakar season, reported.

Motorcycle honouring grandma

The new Dakar KTM 450 Rally, which has landed in the garage meanwhile he was in the hospital, is also given some credit for Brabec’s fast recovery. Jan named it ‘Anežka’ after his grandmother, who was a great fan of his. However, Anežka will have to wait at least a month before going for a ride. First comes hard work in the gym. Jan has booked sessions with coach Kofi already. The most important task now is to warm up and strengthen the broken leg, which should be managed within a month. Next, Jan will have to undergo physical therapy. Only then he can start riding the motorcycle and on October 3, Jan Brabec wants to ride the Rallye du Maroc.