“You can’t push too hard!”

The dunes of the United Arab Emirates have no mystery for Mohammed Balooshi and when he shows up on the Dakar, he’ll be delighted to start off by more sand. The five-time arabic MotoX champion and bike instructor back home has a bitter memory of his first attempt at the Dakar: not only because he was forced to quit on stage 9 with a broken hand but also because he never had the opportunity to reach Peru and show what he was worth in the giant dunes. Six years after his first Dakar, Balooshi is back and eager to battle it out on his KTM 450 RR as part of the Duust Team. He has however learned from the past and knows he doesn’t have the experience of his rivals, especially after such a long absence. The Dakar for him will be all about survival and preserving both his machine and his body when come the more uncomfortable days in Bolivia and soil that he is not used to. Finishing is the one and only goal. Anything else will come as a bonus.

“When I was ten I remember I was not allowed to ride bikes. I still have in mind the smell of two-stroke bikes. My father passed when I was young and my mother was over protective so I had to wait until I was 18 to ride. At the beginning I just had the intention to try for a few weeks and not take it seriously. Well those few weeks have lasted a long time. I started by riding Bajas and doing MotoX. I didn’t know much about the Dakar but my coach who took me under his wing in 2003 had plans for me to do it. I still have memories of the long days during my first Dakar in 2012. I felt comfortable on some parts of the rally and horrible in others like the mountains, the rios and the extreme enduro type of riding. I was forced to quit during stage 9 when I crashed and broke my hand. It was a real disappointment with only four days to go. I’m now looking forward to coming back. The Dakar is the pinnacle of off-road racing. All types of champions compete there. Of course I’m happy to start in Lima, especially because I never got to reach Peru in 2012. I’m excited about the sand and dunes but you can’t push too much. I want to ride smartly and not arrive in Bolivia warn out. Having a goal means adding extra pressure so I just want to finish. The position is a bonus. If I finish last it’s fine and every position above that is an extra bonus”.