“Very happy to be back in the rankings”
RIDER FACTS
- Over the years, Emanuel Gyenes has become one of the best privateers in the bike class. The Romanian enduro specialist, first appeared on the Dakar back in 2007 when it was still in Africa.
- From an initial 46th spot on his debut he managed a career high 14th position in 2016 and has claimed the Marathon class twice.
- Since 2019 he has raced in the Original by Motul class for riders without assistance, winning the category in 2020 on the first Saudi Arabian edition.
- Despite a lingering injury he was back again in 2021 fighting for the victory all the way to the end but finally finishing second to category newcomer Arunas Gelazninkas.
- In 2022 ‘Mani’ finished 40th overall and 5th in Malle Moto and in 2023 11th in Rally 2 and 27th overall, again without assistance.
- Excluded from the Malle Moto rankings last year because historically his overall results were too strong, he raced under Malle Moto conditions but outside the classifications.
- 2025 sees rule changes that allows Gyenes back in the Malle Moto class. They are going to make a tough race even tougher but for Manu it is a small price to pay.
- As usual, the Dakar was the only rally raid the Romanian participated in during 2024. He did however once again finish the Red Bull Romaniacs -the only man to have finished all 21 editions! He also took a silver medal at the ISDE.
2025 AMBITIONS
“Some of the rule changes they have made for the OBM class are good, such as obliging us to change our own tyres and do all our own maintenance. Others I’m not so keen on. We will be limited to six sets of tyres and while I understand the motivation behind this rule change, it will mean our overall results will suffer. And for some of us in the category both these classifications are important. Still if that is the price to pay for being allowed back into the classification then I’m ‘happy’ to pay it.”
