Motorcycle riders from Spain, Portugal, France, Argentina and the USA have been preparing for the Dakar rally at Kent’s laboratories at Medway Park.
The six riders undertook three days of physical and mental endurance tests in Gillingham. This is part of a new collaboration between Honda and the University.
It supervised by Professor Samuele Marcora, Director of Research in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (SSES), and the medical staff at Team HRC Rally, Doctor Pierluigi Tettamanti and Doctor Luigi Vanoni.
The University of Kent is liaising with the Honda team as consultants on how to reduce physical and mental fatigue during the Dakar, which takes place in South America, and other gruelling rally competitions.
Riders Joan Barreda, Paulo Gonçalves, Michael Metge, Ricky Brabec and Kevin Benavides from Team HRC Rally and Franco Caimi from Honda South America Rally Team were subjected to various tests some of which involved simulated high altitude inside the SSES environmental chamber.