“What counts is your position at the finish line”

Ales Loprais has long been one of the Dakar's leading competitors and hails from a family which has enjoyed huge success at the world's toughest rally. His late uncle Karel was a six-time winner in the trucks -inspiring a whole generation of drivers in the Czech Republic- while his father Milan set up the Loprais Tatra team that Ales himself joined in the mid-2000s. After putting aside his law studies, he began his Dakar career as a navigator for Karel, the last Czech winner in the trucks in 2001. Ales then switched to the driver's seat in 2007 and has never left it, claiming a clutch of top-five finishes in Africa, South America and Saudi Arabia. His best result was third behind Hans Stacey and Ilgizar Mardeev in 2007, but the ultimate dream is to stand on the top step of the podium and add another Bedouin trophy to the Loprais collection. Last year Ales was very much in the mix for overall victory, leading eventual winner Janus van Kasteren by almost half an hour with five stages to go, but his Dakar unfortunately came to a tragic end. On Stage 9, through no fault of his own, Ales struck a spectator on the blind side of a dune who later succumbed to his injuries, and the subsequent investigation forced him to withdraw from the rally. After a period of introspection, the 43-year-old decided to return for Dakar 2024, where he will be joined for the third successive year by talented navigator Jaroslav Valtr Junior, whose father Jaroslav Senior and brother Michal are also competing in the trucks. Experienced mechanic Jiri Stross also returns for his second Dakar with Ales after 2017, having also worked with Jaroslav's father in 2016. Driving their almost unchanged Praga V4S DKR -affectionately known as 'Lady'- they are out to win the battle of the big behemoths between Alula and Yanbu.

A.L.: “Dakar 2023 was really difficult for me. The situation was really tough. I was unsure about whether to continue or not, but I decided to keep moving forward. We did five test sessions in Europe and made the decision to go for the Dakar again. So I am coming back and I hope we’ll be even stronger. I’m coming with the same truck, almost no changes, just slightly different shifting software. Nothing special, because the truck and I fit each other perfectly, we’re linked to each other. She’s like a human being to me, it’s like she’s alive. She’s still our Lady and capable of being at the top. Last year I was leading the rally, but that’s already happened a few times in the past. I never count it like this. What counts is your position at the finish line. I’m confident in my skills and in Lady’s skills, and I believe in the crew. Jaroslav is joining for me for a third year, and we’re taking Jiri for the second time. I have a big wish to be the best. The result is already written somewhere in the universe, so we just follow the steps.”

J.V.: “It's really nice to be competing alongside the family. You wouldn’t leave your father in a desert alone, right? So if we see him, the least we can do is stop and ask if they need some help. I expect him to be up front again, and I hope we will be too. It’s my brother’s first Dakar, Michal, so I would suggest that he takes it step by step. Don’t try to compete with the seasoned guys, stay behind and try to finish the rally. With family it's more like a collaboration. Ales and I have a good flow, it's going to be our third Dakar together. We had good performances in 2023, and even in 2022 when we were the only truck in among the Kamaz. You're spending 10 hours a day in three cubic metres with three people, so for me a good atmosphere is the most basic thing if you want to succeed. Once a crew starts to argue and blame each other, their performance always goes down. Last year was exciting because it felt like every day we had a new leader, with all the problems and penalties.”

J.S.: “The Dakar is always a big challenge and I'm really looking forward to it. It’s my second start with the team. Ales is a very good driver and Jarda is a good navigator. In 2017 we had some technical problems, but it was still good. The role of the mechanic is as important as that of each crew member and the whole team.”