“I just want to get that finisher's medal”
RIDER FACTS
- After five years of competing in rally-raid events in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Robbie Wallace is gearing up for his first Dakar in 2025.
- The 27-year-old from the north of England has followed in the footsteps of his father Duncan, who used to race bikes as a youngster. Robbie started out on a pit bike at age seven or eight, then convinced his dad to buy him a KTM 85 at age 10 and began racing enduro.
- Between the ages of 18 and 23 he competed in the British Enduro Championship, before switching his focus to offroad rallies.
- He made his rally-raid debut at the Tour of Portugal, riding an old Husqvarna 500 with basic modifications.
- He has gone on to post some impressive results, finishing second overall at bajas in Hungary (2022) and Qatar (2023) and coming fifth in class at the Africa Eco Race (2022).
- Away from motorsport, Robbie occasionally gets out for a bit of clay pigeon or pheasant shooting in the nearby Yorkshire dales, and he's a big fan of Middlesbrough FC.
2025 AMBITIONS
R.W.: “I've been watching the Dakar all my life, but I always thought it was something unattainable. I decided to have a crack at rallying a few years ago. I entered the Tour of Portugal, run by RallyMoto, and did quite well. I just started plugging away at little European rallies, then went to Morocco. The last couple of years I've made a big push to get towards Dakar. I did the Africa Eco Race. That put me in good stead to know what to expect on the endurance side of things, on a two-week rally. I had to go to Argentina in June to qualify, and it was a good experience racing with the big boys. In Britain, the best motorbike riders do extreme enduro or hard enduro, because we have the right terrain to condition people for it. We just don't have the land and access for roadbook rallying. It's always been tough. I'm getting a lot of backing, some of it from people who've always wanted to go but never had the chance. The Brits who take part often aren't as quick as they used to be, but as a young lad I'm getting some good support. My ambition for every race is just to finish it. If you try and go with anything in your mind beforehand, you can kind of get yourself worked up. When I compare myself to other riders, I'd be looking at the top 40 overall. And anything above that would be absolutely unbelievable. I'd really like to finish this Dakar. If I finish it how I know I can finish it, it will open a lot of doors for me and obviously I would be coming back. But I'm not one to come in making a big noise and saying I want to get a pro ride. I try not to look too far ahead because I don't want to jinx myself. I just want to get that finisher's medal and have it sat on the mantelpiece at home.
