“In the Dakar, 90 minutes is nothing”

From the football pitches to the desert, Cesare ‘Ricky’ Rickler has found a very different terrain to express his talents. The former Serie A and Serie B player rode the Dakar for the first time in 2017, following the path set by his parents since they started racing together in 1987, the same year Cesare was born. His father still runs the R Team and Cesare is back for a second participation in a row, his fifth already in the Dakar. Sand dunes are where he can live his true passion more than grass carpets, he explains.

R.R.d.M: “This is my passion, the motors. My family got into this when I was born. I did football and I’m very proud to have played in Serie A and with the national team, in the young categories up to under 21, but the emotions are very different. When you finish the Dakar, you come to the conclusion of a great adventure and a huge challenge. When you play football, you have to prepare and you have games every week… but you play for 90 minutes. In the Dakar, 90 minutes is nothing. You drive 15, 16 hours per day, sometimes 24 hours and you start again without sleeping. It’s a big challenge physically and you need to be strong mentally. When I finished my first Dakar, I was more emotional than when I played my first game in Serie A.
I feel very good, I’m really happy to take part in the Dakar for the fifth time. I’m also proud because I always finished the race and the same goes for all my customers, which is the most important for me. I’m here to provide them the best service and help them make it to the finish.
Since last year, I started working with TH Trucks, the Spanish team of Rafa Tibau and Alberto Herrero. They called me again this year and I’m excited to do well with my new co-driver. Oscar was in Alberto Alonso’s truck last year and we did all the Dakar together. They had a very difficult day when Alberto ended up in a hole and we managed to get out of this situation. I know Oscar very well. He’s a great mechanic, a great co-driver and a great person.”