“This year, I would like more”

Allready an outsider for his first Dakar, Juraj Varga was at the height of expectations. Fourth of his maiden Dakar, the Slovakian had to learn the hard way but is now well aware of the level he needs to rise to in order to win the event. Not quite at the level of Dakar champion Alexandre Giroud or WR2R 2023 winner Laisvydas Kancius, Varga carried on gaining experience throughout the season, winning several Baja races and finishing second of the very demanding Rallye du Maroc. For his second attempt at the Dakar, the 30-year-old rider from Povazska Bystrica on his Yamaha 700 Raptor will certainly be one to watch on this 46th edition of the Dakar.

“It was a childhood dream to make it to the Dakar and reach the finish line. I had been working on it for a very long time and it was really worthwhile. I competed in many races around the world but the Dakar is the Dakar. Finishing the rally was the objective so to capture fourth place is fantastic. I took the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship as a preparation for the 2024 Dakar. This year I would like more, but you have to remember that the Dakar is the hardest competition in the world, it lasts a fortnight and all the goals can end in the first stage. So we'll see how it goes.”