RIDER FACTS

• The career of one of the most talented riders the Czech Republic has produced in recent years is coming to an end. Jan Brabec is preparing for his 8^th and last Dakar in the bikes. Aged 41, he has decided that he needs to close this chapter and start a new one. He plans to have his own rally team and riding school.
• After getting his first BMX at the age of 4 and winning his first Masters title at 7, Jan began riding motocross with support from his father. His old man even flew him out to the US as a 12-year-old to get advice from Casey Johnson and Jeremy McGrath, legends of the sport. Jan went on to claim 10 national titles in MX and SX, as well as competing on the international stage. He discovered cross-country in 2017 after striking up an Instagram conversation with top trucks contender Martin Macik, and ended up making three Dakar appearances for Martin’s Big Shock Racing team.
• After a solid debut in 2018 (39^th place), he was on course for a Top 20 finish in 2019 until being slapped with a 9-hour penalty for a navigation mistake. Later that year, Jan had a huge crash while training in Tunisia. Despite suffering seven broken bones and internal bleeding, he still managed to line up at Dakar 2020 and reach the finish line in 54^th.
• The Hustopece native rarely lets adversity get in his way; after abandoning Dakar 2021, he had another nasty crash at Baja Aragon, but once again defied expectations to make it to Dakar 2022. He enjoyed his best run to date, finishing 23^rd overall and 4^th in the Rally2 category. He even went viral for holding the longest wheelie of Dakar 2022 at 12,20 seconds, an achievement he has since immortalised in t-shirt form.
• An injury to his left foot hampered his ambitions in 2023, although he fought through the pain to finish his sixth Dakar, and with a decent 31^st place. He did even better in 2024 despite being ill. He will have his last taste in January, still backed by Strojrent, a family construction company in which he’s involved doing international business.