“Maybe I’m a masochist but I go there to suffer”

A year after suffering mechanical failure on his Dakar debut, Alexandre Azinhais went back for another crack at the world’s toughest rally in 2022. This time, riding a modified enduro bike, he finished mid-pack in a respectable 69th place. Having achieved his dream and after many years competing in other rallies, Alexandre decided to have a break from competition and spend more time with his family and concentrate on his restaurant business. Having reestablished some life balance he then decided to come back in 2024, this time on a full blown rally bike.

“My first Dakar I did on a rally bike and I found it really hard, the route was really technical. So for 2022 I decided to enter on an enduro bike but the route was much faster and I wished I was back on a rally bike. So that is what I will ride in 2024. It looks like it is going to be a tough race and that is what I am hoping for. The Dakar should be the hardest race in the world. Maybe I’m a masochist but I go there to suffer. What I don’t change is my team. Club Aventura Touareg is a really human outfit and after a hard day in the saddle that’s what you need, to be with friends. I raced the new Addax Rally in Morocco earlier in the year and spent about 4 weeks training there as well, so physically I should be up to the challenge.”