“Getting closer to the African Dakars”

Giniel De Villiers has finished the Dakar 16 straight times, but his last appearance was a major disappointment. The South African who has only finished outside the Top 10 once (in 2007), had to settle for ninth place last year in Peru. An unfortunate rock (and a broken wheel) dashed his hopes of victory on day three. The 47-year-old veteran is still a major part of the South Africa based Toyota Gazoo team. Preparation for his 17th Dakar consisted of participating in and winning the South African all-terrain Championship for the third consecutive year. His only run outside his national series was a confidence booster. He took the laurels in the Morocco Rally in October ahead of all the discipline’s front-runners. The big change for this cycling enthusiast, who fine-tunes his physical preparation on his Mountain Bike, is his new co-driver. After 11 Dakars with Dirk Von Zitzewitz, this time he will have Alex Haro by his side. The Spaniard finished second overall last year with Nani Roma. De Villiers’ objective is obviously the same: win again, more than 10 years after his only triumph.

G.D.V.:” I grew up on a farm and raced everything I could. It began when I was four with a pedal kart. My father loved motor racing and he passed on the bug to me. I started in circuit racing, notably in touring cars before switching to all-terrain. The last Dakar was a huge disappointment. We hit a rock and our hopes for victory were gone on day three. It happens. The same thing happened to Nasser Al Attiyah in Morocco. I have experienced a lot of highs and lows this year but the win in Morocco boosted my confidence tremendously. I feel good in the car. We have been able to make some improvements during our many tests. Everything is in place. I am getting used to my new co-driver (Alex Haro). He has spent quite a lot of time with me in South Africa. For sure, it is strange to have someone different next to me, but sometimes change is good. This Dakar in Saudi Arabia will be new for everyone, except for Yazeed Al Rajhi (Saudi). You could say that it is a small advantage. In any case, the navigation will be interesting. We are getting closer to the African Dakars. We will find ourselves in completely isolated placers. It has been more than ten years since we experienced that. Our objective is still victory. We must win!”