November 20, 2006 – Priit Salumäe from Estonia is the winner of the first edition of ‘Paris-Dakar by Bike’. The race took 10 weeks and started in Paris on September 10, 2006 with 27 riders from 11 different countries. The strong riders of the Hawaii Express Team completed the 7,206 kms with a race time of 198 hours and 49 minutes. Salumäe beat Margus Püvi also from Estonia by 33 minutes. The podium was completed by the Rob van den Heuvel, a strong climber from the Netherlands. Top female rider was Hanneke Breebaart from the Netherlands.

Paris-Dakar by Bike 2006 was a race thru a variety of cultures, scenery and climates. From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the little huts below baobab trees in Senegal. Burning sun, rolling hills, roads with potholes, pouring rain, freezing temperatures in the night and forties in the desert, steep mountains with a total of 57,780 altitude meters, passes over 2,000 meters, winds blowing from all directions, tarmac like silk, everlasting flats, spectacular downhills, infinite desert. The racers had to fight it all.

Paris-Dakar by Bike has the ambition to grow in an annual event for adventure cyclists from all over the world. The plan for 2007 is to leave Paris with a peloton of over 50 cyclists. Find more details about the 2006 edition with experiences from the racers at the website of the organization: www.bike-dreams.com.