“If I want to win, I have to be a tactician”

November 20 ^th 2019 - 13:04 [GMT + 3]

I.C: “The 2019 Dakar will be a different Dakar for me. The truth is that the competition in SSV has been fantastic, I would do it a thousand times and hopefully very soon. I liked the sensations behind the wheel of the SSV and the good vibes of my co-driver Américo Aliag. It was an unforgettable experience. After my win in 2018, I was really tired of the quad. I didn’t want anything to do with it. But 16 months ago, I already wanted to come back. The desire returned. Yamaha sent me a quad, I went to the dunes and I realised that it is really my thing. However, now, I do things differently. I enjoy the setting and environment more. Before, in my mind, there was only a desire to win and that inhibited me from appreciating what I had accomplished. It killed my passion. Now, I am back fully motivated and of course I want to win my third title. That would be a dream, with a special meaning, because it is not a Dakar in South America. I don’t much about Saudi Arabia, but it is the same for everyone. This Dakar will be for the more intelligent, not for the fastest. It will be dominated by the rider who best adapts to the terrain, the new road book and who is the most consistent. It will be the most tactical Dakar ever, that will reward those who best use their heads.”