In 1996, Lithuanian racer Romualdas Beresnevičius started Dakar with a “Honda Africa 750 Twin.” The rally started in Granada (Spain), then the route stretched through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, and Guinea all the way to Dakar (Senegal).
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At that time, Romualdas Beresnevičius did not reach the finish, but he made the first mark in history. “Over 30 years, Lithuanian racers have managed to rise from outsiders to winners,” notes V. Valiukevičius.
Below we present an excerpt from Valdas Valiukevičius’s book “Dakar Warriors” – the author’s conversation with Romualdas Beresnevičius.
Pioneer. Romualdas Beresnevičius
The first Lithuanian person who thought of seeking challenges in the deserts was a member of the Soviet Union rally team, Romualdas Beresnevičius. A man from Kaunas. A man with character. Not mincing words. A tough man, an interesting man.
Romualdas has earned various descriptions. He lives in Vilkija, built a house in a wonderful place on the bank of the Nemunas River, drives a comfortable Mercedes-Benz. However, his tongue remained sharp as it was. He was the first to start breaking into Africa back in 1995. Initially by motorcycle, then by car.
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– Romai, you were a well-known rally driver. Why did you choose Dakar?
– It is a challenge for everyone who starts. The title of Dakar winner remains for life for everyone who finishes. It is a wonderful thing, a wonderful fight with oneself, a wonderful state for the soul and hard for the body.
– You, like many racers, had a dream to reach Dakar?
– In 1990, I ended my career in the USSR team. Thoughts arose to continue it. I participated in various races abroad. And then, according to my wife, I had a crazy idea – in 1993 I said I would go to Dakar. She probably wasn’t very surprised, she knew I was somewhat crazy, having experienced many injuries.
I started flying to Paris, met Hubert Auriol. When he found out that I had finished the toughest stages of the world rally championship, he rushed to help me, found sponsors, found an SUV.
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– Why did you initially decide to go by motorcycle?
