R1-World Tour 2001-2006 clippings


Motor Cycle News, ENGLAND, 2009

R1. MotorCycleNewsUK 2009



Chiang Mai, THAILAND, January 2006

Addicted to adventure: 5 years on the road over 5 continents.

R1. The Capitol, Washington DC, USA

Sjaak in front of the Capitol, Washington DC, USA

Dutch adventurer Sjaak Lucassen, 44, born in Maashees in the Netherlands, started his amazing journey around the world on a Yamaha motorcycle. He left immediately after a bike show at Utrecht in March 2001. World travel on a road bike seems to come into fashion, but Sjaak is a very special rider.

After finishing his education, Sjaak worked as a horticulturist in his native country, but soon he wanted to discover the world. He first went to Australia with his first motorcycle and liked it there very much touring around. Then he sent his motorcycle home and explored Indonesia as a backpacker.

R1. Struggling through the mud in civil war torn Congo, Africa

Struggling through the mud in civil war torn Congo, Africa

This was in 1993. Suddenly missing his motorcycle badly, he decided to do a once in a lifetime bike trip around the world that lasted for three years. In the meantime, he got addicted to this kind of travel and became a successful writer and photographer. In 2001, Sjaak found some sponsors to allow him to plan his second trip around the world.
Traveling without a rigid time frame and letting destiny dictate his road map, he finally arrived at Chiang Mai on January 12, 2006. He was staying in the Crossroads Caf้ and Guest-house, where another Dutch motorcycle enthusiast, Hans Deckers, 39, has opened a travel business and organizes tours around Northern Thailand. Through this connection, Sjaak came to Chiang Mai.

Welcome to Alaska

R1. Welcome to Alaska

Sjaak had ridden down from the Netherlands into Spain, crossed over to Morocco in Africa and through the annexed Western Sahara. Then he followed the western coast of Africa to make excursions inland where he liked and ended up in the civil war striken Congo. From there, he went to Zambia and crossed the whole of Southern Africa down to Durban to then ship his motorcycle to South America.
Arriving safely in Buenos Aires in Argentina, Sjaak toured around one and a half years in South America to marvel at 9,000 year old cave paintings in Patagonia and the Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru. Then, he rode to Central America and into North America, where he explored the Mayan ruins in Mexico, heading all the way up to Alaska. From there, he flew with a little plane to Magadan in Russia, where he received his motorcycle on the baggage belt like a suitcase.
From Russia, Sjaak went into Mongolia and China to make the impossible possible by importing his motorcycle across the border into China. He visited the cities of Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Kunming.

R1. You need the adventure ‘virus’ in your blood to even start a tour like that

You need the adventure ‘virus’ in your blood to even start a tour like that

From Kunming in Yunnan, Sjaak followed the partly muddy and slippery highway down to the China-Laos border to reach the former royal city of Luang Prabang and the Lao capital of Vien-tiane. From there, he planned to drive further south to Cambodia, but could not do it because of some deep cracks in the aluminum motorcycle frame, which was difficult to repair.
So Sjaak decided to come to Thailand quickly, crossed the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai and followed the mighty Mekong River up to Chiang Khan in Loei Province. Passing Phitsanulok, he finally made it into Chiang Mai to relax and prepare for his ongoing travel adventures to come. He wants to see Cambodia and definitely Nepal, before he will return back to the Netherlands in 2006. After 225.000km over five continents, may he be lucky in all his future endeavors! For further information, please see the web site www.R1goesextreme.com.

R1. Highest mountain pass, Argentina at 4895 meters

On top of the highest mountain pass in Argentina at 4895 meters



Presentation in Bogotá, Colombia

R1. Flyer presentation Bogotá



Motor Cycle News, ENGLAND, 2006

R1.-MCN-UK-2006

Sponsors 2001-2006 R1 World Tour


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