“I have travelled over a lot of the terrain - it will be amazing”

Like many Dakar competitors, Phil Wilson started riding bikes from an early age. Raised on a farm in New Zealand, he hopped on a motorcycle at the age of 6. When he joined the Air Force, he had to put that passion aside. But again, it was thanks to a career change that he returned to his childhood love. Indeed, for the last 24 years, Phil has been living in Riyadh where he works as a military flying instructor. He rapidly fell in love with the landscapes of Saudi Arabia that he started discovering either on his bike or on camping trips with the family. He had first considered doing the Dakar back in 2011 but a bad crash during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge postponed his first attempt. When the news came that the Dakar was moving to Saudi Arabia, it was actually his wife who told him to go for it. After proving he was worthy of the Dakar during the Morocco Rally, Wilson will be on the start line on his KTM. He will be one of the few competitors to have knowledge of the terrain but knows that it takes more than just that to reach the finish.

“I don’t have memories of the Dakar when I grew up in New Zealand but once I moved to Saudi Arabia I started watching it on TV. I was captivated. My first step towards the Dakar was during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge that I did to prepare for the rally. I unfortunately crashed and broke my back. When the announcement came that the Dakar was going to Saudi Arabia, my wife said “you’ve got to do it”. I first had to test myself in Morocco and that was amazing, beyond what I’d imagined. It was a lot tougher than what I expecting. It’s a steep learning curve and I have a lot to learn. I obviously have a pretty good idea of the terrain and it’s spectacular. Fitness is my main concern. I am 55 and I need to be stronger. The length of the days will be tricky to cope with, especially staying ahead of the sun. I’m looking forward to the whole thing.”