Welcome to Day 1 of the “Johnthetommy Blog” previously known as “Hutzmandl on Tour”.

I spoke to Robert about three hours before the rally books were given out and I can see from his last posting that that he has already planned Leg 1 but like all of you reading this, that’s all I know for now.

I guess he will be asleep now as the rally is due to start in a little over 7 hours time at 16.00 European time (15.00 BST)

Fortunately for Robert, “the heat is off” this time. In his last IBR in 2017 he achieved his main objective in obtaining his “3 digit” IBA membership number. For those of you that don’t know, in the IBA, you are allocated a membership number when you complete your first qualifying ride. I guess it must be up to around 80,000 now. However, the first 999 membership numbers are reserved for any rider that has been an Iron Butt Rally finisher (I am number 458) and it marks you out amongst other IBA members as “one of THOSE guys” ……. Robert has his now – higher than mine I might add …. Lol !!

So he can approach this rally differently – however there is his dilemma. He is no doubt capable of achieving a top place, but as a famous racer once said “to finish first, first you have to finish”. Coupled with that, for any European (and especially a European shipping his own bike over to ride), the financial cost is enormous and so “crashing and burning” on the first leg (pardon the pun) is both counter productive to both ending in a high position or indeed from the “value for money” angle.

For that reason, I expect a fairly conservative first leg. It will ease him into the rally and allow for any “heroics” in legs 2 and 3.

So that’s all from me for now. By this time tomorrow, armed with what I know, i should be able to work out what he’s up to on the first leg