“The Dakar represents a sense of overcoming”

Just a 100kms away from his hometown of Sao Luis, the area of Maranhao hosts the most splendid dunes and sand beaches the world has to offer. A perfect terrain for Marcelo Medeiros to ride his quad. That’s where it all started. But the successful businessman had one dream: to do the Dakar one day. After winning the Dos Sertoes Rally twice, his turn came to witness the toughest of all cross-country rallies. A year after André Suguita became the first ever Brazilian to finish the Dakar on a quad, Medeiros was impressing the world. Second overall after stage 4 in Jujuy, he was sadly forced to call it quits after a major crash on the way to Bolivia. His second attempt was just as rough as he pulled out on day 4 despite conquering a first ever stage win on the opening day. It would take the Brazilian three editions to eventually cross the finish line and he did so in style when he reached Cordoba in fourth spot. After a three-year absence, Medeiros returns with that simple desire to discover Saudi Arabia and… become the first Brazilian to win the Dakar.

"Since I was a boy when I started racing in kart at the age of eleven, and then on quads, I followed the Dakar Rally and dreamt of one day being in that race as well. And that finally happened, it was a dream come true. I hope that my participation in the Dakar, regardless of the results, serves above all to show to the state governments and companies of our country that Brazilian athletes can be as good as any other, regardless of their sport or category. We just need opportunities.
For me the Dakar represents a challenge, a possibility to represent my country and my region, but also a sense of overcoming.
My return to the Dakar has two reasons: I wanted to discover Saudi Arabia and its dunes, but I also come with the desire to win for the first time."