Accompanied by his wife Alana and a mechanic, Pollard will compete in his first Dakar on a 690cc KTM. For the Australian rider and his support crew, a run in the Dakar has been a long time coming.

"I went over last year, and also in 2000, when it was in Africa, and it's honestly taken me this long to get my attempt ready," the 39-year-old said.

"I was supposed to go last year, but I broke my leg just before the Dakar, and had to postpone it another year because it's definitely not the sort of place you want to be carrying an injury."

KTM initially withdrew completely from the rally after organisers announced an engine restriction to 450cc designed to slow riders down and make the motorbike category more competitive. Officials then allowed larger-engined bikes to enter, but a restriction on the professional teams hands amateurs like Pollard a small advantage.

"They initially announced it was going to be open to 450s only, and when KTM withdrew then the organisers backed off a bit, and allowed the bigger bikes," Pollard explained.

"But they made a rule that the professionals have to ride a restricted version of the 690s.

"The amateurs like myself though have been allowed to run the bikes without the restrictors on them. So my bike's as it is, no restrictor at all."

Even with an unrestricted 690cc KTM, Pollard faces an uphill battle.

"This is an extensive exercise and I'm not going just to trail ride so to speak. Having said that, I'm not going to say 'oh, I'm going to win it' either, the main goal is to finish, but to finish in a position I'd be happy with," he said.

"I'd be happy with between 30 and 40th. I know the top 30 guys are world class, and I'm not going to kid myself that I'm at that level, but I think by being a consistent rider you can achieve good results."

With a focused but pragmatic attitude, we were left to ask 'Why the Dakar?'

"I'm actually beginning to wonder that myself!" Pollard said with a laugh.

"I've been interested in it for a lot of years, and I looked in 2000 and again last year. I've done some long distance races, like the Australian Safari six times, and the International Six Day Enduro which is a six day race, but this is a different race.

"The Dakar is the pinnacle of all the distance races. You just can't ride at 100 per cent for 14 or 15 days, you have to pace yourself and stay at a consistent pace you can handle. You have to understand your limits.

"It's about managing the different risks and scenarios, not just about riding flat out.

"You've got to get to the end of the day to be there for the next day. You've also got to go fast enough to not get left behind and stuck out at night. If you get stuck out at night your chances of getting through the next day are pretty slim," he explained. 

With 10 years of waiting, and a keen understanding of the challenge ahead, Pollard has spent 2009 in preparation for the raid.

"I've trained the whole year, as hard as I possibly can, physically and on the bike, to improve my strength and my skills. Nothing can prepare you properly for the terrain but it does help with the endurance."

As well as sound preparation, Pollard is packing an extra defence against the agony of the 17 day trial.

"My wife Alana is coming with me, she always comes and she's a big help. I believe you need someone to help you when you really are worn down and don't want to continue," said Pollard.

"You need someone to be there and pick you up in the morning."


Click here for more of Jacob Black's Deep in the Dust.

:: SBS ONE will show daily highlights of Dakar 2010, every night at 6:00pm AEDT from January 3 to 17. Or stay online at www.sbs.com.au/dakar for video extras, all the latest news, and expert blogs.