“I am sure I have a chance at winning”

Just 100kms away from his hometown of Sao Luis, the area of Maranhao hosts the most splendid dunes and sand beaches the world has to offer. A perfect terrain for Marcelo Medeiros to ride his quad. That’s where it all started. And the Brazilian never fails to mention his home area. Other than the fact that he is supported by his region, he also wishes to promote it. And that’s how the Dakar came into play. The successful businessman had one dream: to do the rally one day. After winning the Dos Sertoes Rally twice, his turn came to witness the toughest of all cross-country rallies. A year after André Suguita became the first ever Brazilian to finish the Dakar on a quad, it was Medeiros’ turn to try to impress the world. It took the Brazilian three editions to eventually cross the finish line and he did so in style when he reached Cordoba in fourth spot back in 2018. After a three-year absence, Medeiros returned with the simple desire to discover Saudi Arabia. His two experiences in the Middle-East have been extremely positive ones with two Top 10 finishes (6th in 2022 and 9th in 2023) and a total of 7 stage wins. Yet Medeiros who competed in this year’s Desafio Ruta 40 to prepare for the Dakar, continues to have overall success in the back of his mind. He knows he can do it on his Yamaha Raptor and experience could certainly pay off in 2024.

“Since I was a boy when I started racing in kart at the age of eleven, and then on quads, I followed the Dakar Rally and dreamt of one day being in that race as well. And that finally happened, it was a dream come true. I hope that my participation in the Dakar, regardless of the results, serves above all to show to the state governments and companies of our country that Brazilian athletes can be as good as any other, regardless of their sport or category. We just need opportunities.
For me the Dakar represents a challenge, a possibility to represent my country and my region, but also a sense of overcoming. The last Dakar was extremely difficult. I suffered one small crash but managed to recover from it and I then went on to win four stages which made me happy. This year, I trained intensely for the Dakar and competed in the Desafio Ruta 40, finishing third. My ambition is to win! I'm sure I have a chance at that. When I look back I can say that all the editions were fantastic with very beautiful places and very difficult and long stages.”