N°89 Bike HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING
driver
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ARDIT KURTAJ

(aut) 1.75m / 82kg

Hobbies

skiing, hiking, motorbikes, mountain bike

Sponsors

Gamer Tag, Nassfeld, Da Fedrigo, Hotel Gartnerkofel, Mancave, Kofelalm,TKA Logistik, BNP, Buro QM, A2 Advertising, Plus Kaumanns, Johmee, Farmacia Candussi, Wedl, Freilich. Sölle Sport

2024: first appearance

2023: Sonora Rally / Desafio Ruta 40 / Rallye du Maroc / W2RC : Rally3 winner
2022: Rallye du Maroc
Albania Rally (many times)

Interview

“This is my thing!”

To be a Dakar competitor, you need to have a passion for travelling, discovering, a quest for the unknown… Ardit Kurtaj has that DNA in him. Born in Albania, he moved with his family to Italy when he was 14. Learning the trade of hotel management then took him to various other places from Como to his new home: Austria, where he had enjoyed several winter seasons. And then there’s the love of the bike from the young age of 15 when he started riding his Fantic 50 in the woods. The Dakar started to become a dream when he saw a picture in La Gazzetta Dello Sport of Fabrizio Meoni winning the rally. It took him over twenty years to finally fulfil his childhood dream. After first testing himself out at the Albania Rally, the father of three children went on to compete in bigger events. On his way to his first appearance at the Dakar, Ardit even conquered the W2RC Rally3 title after his good results in Mexico, Argentina and Morocco. For his first Dakar, the rider who has a dual citizenship, Albanian and Austrian, will be part of the HT Rally-raid racing team. Confident in his capacities to do well on the Dakar, he hopes to become the first Albanian to reach the finish of the rally.


“Seeing a picture of Fabrizio Meoni winning the Dakar was my first inspiration. I said to myself: this is what I want to do. But it took time before I really went for it. A new chapter in my life started ten years ago when I bought a motocross, a trial and a road bike. My life is on two wheels. Then 5 years ago, I did my first rally in Albania and thought: this is my thing. And of course I wanted to do the biggest one, the Dakar. I did more and more rallies to prepare for the Dakar. I made a commitment to my family and friends that I would do the Dakar and they thought I was crazy. Last year, I was in full preparation mode. I hired a personal coach and trained more and more. Of course the Dakar is a different monster but I’m not really worried. I’m actually super excited and very excited about the 48h Chrono stage in the Empty Quarter. It’s such a great challenge. My goal is to finish. I want that finisher’s medal.”

Vehicle

HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING

HUSQVARNA 450 RALLY REPLICA
HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING

  • HUSQVARNA
  • 450 RALLY REPLICA
  • HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
  • HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
  • Rally 2

Ranking 2024

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