“Being a Dakar Legend is a great honour for me”

Jan Vesely will be lining up on the world's toughest rally for the tenth time in 2020, which officially makes him a Dakar Legend. As if getting to the finish line wasn't tough enough, the Czech warrior will be participating in the assistance-free 'Original by Motul' class for the third year running, having already finished 12th in 2018 and 11th in 2019. Jan has been passionate about bikes since childhood, and his talent, experience and sheer force of will have enabled him to finish the Dakar on seven of his nine participations to date. The 48-year-old rider and mechanic believes that the 'Original by Motul' category perfectly captures the essence of the first Dakars, and you certainly wouldn't bet against him making it all the way to Qiddiya for this maiden edition in Saudi Arabia.

“Being a Dakar Legend is a great honour for me and I appreciate it a lot. In Saudi Arabia I'm expecting a Dakar with lots of new possibilities, especially in terms of the tracks. I think they will be very interesting, and quite different from the tracks in South America. I'm expecting a route with lots of sand and dunes. It's been a good 2019, and I'm feeling fine before Dakar. For me, the Original by Motul category is the right way to do the Dakar, and fully captures the original idea of the rally's founder, Mr. Thierry Sabine.”