“I hope that I can break my Dakar curse”

For many years, Tomas Kubiena has been considered one of the top performers in the quads category, but the Czech rider has been let down by his machine in his three Dakar outings to date. Having been forced to abandon with mechanical issues in 2017, 2018 and 2019, he has decided to twist in 2020, trading his KTM for a tried-and-tested Yamaha Raptor. On his new vehicle, nicknamed 'Scorpion', he will be determined to avoid getting stung by technical problems on Saudi Arabian soil. The 43-year-old, who has been part of the ambitious Moto Racing Group (MRG) since 2017, will be riding alongside fellow Czech competitors Milan Engel and Martin Michek, who'll both be hoping to star in the bikes. Tomas has over a decade of experience under his belt, and enjoyed a solid recent outing at the El Chott Rally in Tunisia, finishing first in his category and third overall. He believes that the switch to Saudi Arabia is a good thing, as it should make for a level playing field in the hotly contested quads class.

“I hope that I can break my Dakar curse! I think I probably deserve it. In the past we probably weren't sufficiently prepared. Now we've done everything we can to go all the way. With the quad, I've only kept the engine and the chassis. Otherwise everything is different, even if we've stuck to the original design. I think that moving to Saudi Arabia is a step in the right direction. I personally love the new destination. In recent years there were a lot of South American riders who were able to train on home soil all year round, who knew the tracks really well. Now we'll all be at the same level."