“I’m already heading into my third Dakar”
Crew facts
- After debuts in motocross and enduro, Tobias Ebster won the FIM Bajas World Cup 2022 in Dubai and won Rally 2 at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge against experienced opponents.
- Qualified for the Dakar thanks to his victory in the “Road to Dakar” program, he overcame injuries, including a fractured shoulder on the Rallye du Maroc and a fractured scaphoid in November 2023.
- He competed in his first Dakar with the team of his uncle Heinz Kinigadner, motocross and rally-raid legend, who hopes to see him succeed where he left off in 1994. He took the win in the “Original by Motul” (without assistance) and secured 20th place overall with the status of best rookie.
- Injured on the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and then again on the Hellas Rally, the Austrian finished 11th overall in the Rallye du Maroc, 5th in the Rally 2 category with the prestigious BAS World KTM Racing Team.
- At the Dakar 2025, he finished second in Rally 2, ninth overall as the top rider from a private team. He kept his momentum to finish third at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge before joining Hero Motosports Team Rally as a factory rider. He then finished second at the South African Safary Rally, 25th at the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal and fourth at the Rallye du Maroc to take the runner-up spot in the FIM Rally-Raid World Cup.
- With a background in mechanical engineering, he has worked a variety of freelance jobs (landscaper, taxi driver, plumber, pizza delivery driver, and carpenter) in order to maintain a flexible schedule that allows him to train and participate in intensive races.
Ambition
T.E: “My 2025 season was, all in all, pretty solid. Starting the year once again as a privateer was a tough challenge, I went all in. When Hero MotoSports welcomed me to compete with them, it felt amazing. We gave our best, made a strong entry in South Africa, and finishing the year as Rally 2 runner-up was a great reward for all the hard work from everyone involved. I’ll go again for W2RC. My goal is to find that last gear to keep up with the very best in the world of rally raid, and to give back to the team with strong results. When I’m not racing, I enjoy road cycling, motocross, and hiking in the Alps. It’s going to be my third Dakar, but it also feels a bit like my first, from competing completely alone, then with a satellite team, and now as a factory rider. I love the fact that I’m already heading into my third one.”
