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It's not only about the factory teams
The Dakar rule book simply describes the Malle Moto class as a ‘challenge created for Bike and Quad Riders without any kind of service’. What that means exactly is that competitors have to do everything themselves. They ride their bikes, service and prepare their bikes, and receive no outside assistance throughout the event.
When Pro riders are resting at the end of the day, these mad racers are fixing their own bikes, sorting their gear, planning their next day and then grabbing whatever sleep they can before the next stage.
Commenting on the race Lyndon said: “Three starts, three finishes but this was the hardest one. The terrain has been really brutal. Days and days of really hard riding, it just never stopped. "I feel a lot stronger than I did this time last year. I just really focussed on what needed to be done and I think I nailed it.”
Nailed it would be an understatement. He hasn't only shown what a determined and focussed rider can achieve on his own, he's also shown that there's a large and growing audience interested in the Dakar and motorcycle racing and he (and his media crew) have given that audience some of the very best coverage of the event that is available today!