The four ages of Ignacio Casale

January 4 ^th 2019 - 19:12

The young boy pronouncing the oath of sportsmanship in front of all the riders and drivers of the Dakar in Buenos Aires for the start of the 2010 edition, in which he took part on board a truck driven by Casale senior, is a distant memory. Since then, Ignacio completed the rally on his own (finishing 40th) the following year, before shining in the quad category to such an extent that he was victorious twice (in 2014 to 2018). Following on from his most recent triumph, the Chilean is now celebrating his tenth Dakar with a new challenge by driving a Side by Side alongside his old friend Americo Aliaga. In a highly competitive category in which he will have to do battle with his former quad rival Sergey Karyakin, ex-biker Gerard Farrès, American star Casey Currie or his Chilean mentor, making a comeback on the race, “Chaleco” Lopez, Casale is not hiding his lofty ambitions, but first and foremost intends to get the measure of this new sporting environment: “I felt that after two triumphs in the quad category, it was time to try something new and give my body a bit of a rest. I thought about taking a break from the Dakar for a year, but when the opportunity of taking part in the SxS category presented itself, I jumped at the chance straight away. It’s the category of the future. It’s also an important challenge in my opinion, because the vehicle has been entirely developed in Chile. My main goal is to enjoy myself and then we’ll see just how I can play a role in the general standings as the days go by”.