Rally of Tunisia comment: Broken but not bowed

KTM-UAE driver Tim Trenker narrates his experiences from Tunisia where UAE is represented for first time in the Open Production class.

Two days in to the week-long Rally of Tunisia and we have suffered two broken bones. It was confirmed yesterday that James West, my KTM-UAE teammate, has broken his wrist and will be forced to fly home to Dubai tomorrow, while my broken finger is causing me problems amid the stormy weather we are enduring in the mountains in the Tunisian desert. We have shortened the clutch on the bike so my little finger isn't required to squeeze it, but it was very stormy yesterday and the vibrations and shaking coming through the bike's shock absorbers was causing me real pain. It was very difficult for me to hold on, but I managed and drove for 288 kilometres.

I got lost once and rectified my mistake very quickly so I was pleased to learn I had moved up three places in the standings and now sit in the top 10. That has been my aim since day one. I think there is about a four-minute gap between myself and the race leader, but yesterday was a prime example of how anything can happen. My teammate, Marc Coma, blew a tyre and lost 25 minutes. The most difficult thing is not making up the time; it is making sure you do not to push so hard you throw it all away. I would rather race composed and finish fourth than try to finish first and crash out. I will push a little harder today, but I need to be wary of mistakes because I am representing sponsors and the UAE and really want to finish the race.

Trenker is competing in the Rally of Tunisia on behalf of KTM-UAE, the leaders of the FIM World Championship in the bike category. It is the first time the Emirates has been represented in the Open Production class in Tunisia.