“A completely different mindset since my first Dakar!”
RIDER FACTS
- Mike's passion for motorcycles came from his father, who was also a good rider. He got his first bike, a Yamaha PW50, on his 4th birthday, although a fractured femur just a few weeks later showed him that motorsport isn’t for the faint of heart! He nevertheless continued to ride and began competing in enduro as a teenager, eventually claiming his first national title at the age of 19.
- Having picked up experience at offroad events like the ISDE and the Enduropale du Touquet, he gradually developed his rally-raid skills at the Panafrica Rally, Hispania Rally and Rallye du Maroc, also training with Jordi Viladoms. He entered the 2022 Dakar with the BAS World KTM team, which meant he was able to pick up tips from team boss Bart van der Velden and top riders like Mason Klein. Assistance that allowed him to finish in the Top 50 and go down in history as the youngest ever German rider to complete the event, at 24!
- Luck has not been on his side since. He made a promising start in 2023, winning an Original by Motul stage. He was third in the category when he had to retire because of water in his fuel. His ambitions for revenge in 2024 were cut short by an injury a few weeks before the start. 2025 has to be his year!
2025 AMBITIONS
M.W.: “I couldn’t compete last year because of a bad injury to my right foot after a crash. I had surgery and was off the bike for six months. Since then, I did two good races in Greece and Morocco, and I am well prepared for this Dakar. My goal is first to finish healthy, as I didn’t finish in 2023 either. I have to complete the race. For sure, my speed is good enough to fight for the Top 5 in malle-moto. My dream is to be on the Original by Motul podium, but my focus is to finish the race. Dakar is my life right now: I do trainings in Morocco and Germany to earn money for rally. When I did my first rally in 2019, my life completely changed. Good people, big adventures… I have a completely different mindset since the 2022 Dakar!”
