“I have a huge respect for this sport”
RIDER FACTS
- Justin's passion for Dakar is a legacy of his father. He participated twice in the Rallye Optic 2000 Tunisie, in 1998 (finisher) and 2000. He stopped after Justin was born. But then, his son pushed him to ride together! The father accompanied his son throughout his rally journey, giving him advices on navigation and mechanics. A family business!
- At 23, he will be the youngest German motorcyclist to take part in the rally. When he’s not on his bike, Justin is... a student in economics and technical engineering! He did all his exams before Dakar, and must finish his master's thesis when he’ll be back from Saudi Arabia.
- Justin competes every year in the Rallye Breslau, one of the biggest races in Europe. He did the last two Abu Dhabi Desert Challenges to prepare for the Dakar, and has also trained on navigation as a co-driver in the Fenix Rally.
- will ride a 2019 KTM he rebuilt by himself. The bike has already competed one Dakar, since it’s the machine used by the Dutchman Gerben Lieverdink in 2020!
- A big fan of Bayern Munich, Justin has played football all his life. But this year, and for the first time, he didn't take his license in his usual club in Berlin, in order to be focus on the Dakar. His friends are waiting for him at the end of January to play a few games, hopefully with the finisher's medal around his neck!
2025 AMBITIONS
J.G.: “I remember my father telling me about meeting his rally idols, Richard Sainct and Fabrizio Meoni, in Tunisia. We started to watch Dakar together. After some years listening his stories, I told him that I wanted to do it! I have a huge respect for this sport because you’re never sure you will finish. My father has always been by my side in my races and I will bring him to the Dakar. My goal is to be on the finish line, with my family and friends who will be coming. I’ll have to work very hard to make it possible. I’m not very well known in Germany, I feel like some people don’t believe I can make it. I have to prove myself I’m able to do it! I invested so much in this, I took out a loan, I’m afraid it won’t be possible to do it every year! It’s not necessarily my only shot but it’s the shot I have right now, so I will go all in for it. Of course you can be stopped by a technical failure or a crash, but my mentality is to never give up."
