N°145 Moto HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING
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GANZORIG CHULUUN

(mng) 1.8m / 80kg

Loisirs

CrossFit

Sponsors

Gobi Cashmere, Nomadic Off-Roads

First participation

2023: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (17th, Rally 2), Rallye du Maroc (38th, Rally 2), Rally Mongolia (10th)
2021: Silk Way Rally (16th)

Interview

“I have one shot”

Ganzorig Chuluun is gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure at Dakar 2024. The 37 year-old biker was born in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, where his parents were working at the Mongolian Embassy, but moved back home as a baby. His father was a keen motorsport enthusiast and had plans to create a big domestic rally in the late 1980s -the Genghis Khan Gobi Rally-Raid- but was prevented from doing so by the fall of Communism. Ganzorig himself only took up riding in his mid-20s. He may not have become the race organizer that his father aspired to be, but he has played a key role in helping adventure-seeking bikers discover the remarkable landscapes of Mongolia. In 2015 he co-founded Nomadic Off-Road, which operates enduro tours to some of the country’s most beautiful spots, including the Gobi Desert, White Lake, Khuvsgul Lake and the Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall. Business is booming, and Nomadic Off-Road is currently ranked #1 in its category on Tripadvisor. As well as becoming a tour guide, Ganzorig began competing in offroad rallies in 2019. After learning the ropes on the domestic scene, he started testing himself at international events such as the Silk Way Rally, eventually bringing himself to the attention of Henk Hellegers at HT Rally Raid. In 2023, Henk invited him to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, where he did enough to earn entry for Dakar 2024. Ganzorig confesses that he never seriously entertained the idea of doing the world's toughest rally, but since signing up he has been training hard for his “one shot” of becoming just the fifth Mongolian biker to finish it. Nomadic Off-Road are official importers and dealers of Husqvarna and GasGas bikes, so Ganzorig certainly knows his way around a 450 Rally Replica. Having warmed up for Dakar 2024 with a solid outing at the Rallye du Maroc, he is now ready for the biggest challenge of his sporting career.


“I started riding a dirtbike when I was 25, because I didn't really have the opportunity as a kid. After finishing school, I bought a KTM and became a kind of weekend rider. One day a German friend came to visit me, we went out for a ride, and he said, ‘Wow man, riding a bike in Mongolia is an amazing experience!’ It’s true that it’s something you can’t really experience anywhere else. It’s so big and open, with no fences. So we were having a beer and came up with the idea for Nomadic Off-Road. In the beginning it was only a hobby; we never imagined it would become a serious, full-time business. A few years later we had a chance to become a Husqvarna dealer, and their general importer for the country. After Covid we had a huge number of requests to visit the country on a bike. Last year we had 250 mostly Europeans and Americans come to Mongolia with us. It's my passion to ride a bike and introduce my country to foreign guests, I love it. I started racing rallies in 2019, at the Master Rally Mongolia. I finished but found it really tough; I had a crash and injured my neck. Gradually I improved and got faster. But the Dakar was still just a pipe dream, in terms of my finances and riding skills. It was too far for me, you know? But this year I was in touch with Henk Hellegers from HT Rally Raid, who made me come to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. He said, ‘You’ve done Silk Way, you’ve done the Mongolia Rally, no worries man, come!’ So I did Abu Dhabi with HT, and finished, but I really struggled in the sand dunes. I wasn't planning to go to the Dakar this year, but Henk called me in July and told me I was qualified, and that he was happy for me to come with the team. I thought about it for a few days and said, ‘Let's do it!’. Plenty of Mongolians really like the Dakar and support me. The last three years I’ve really pushed and prepared myself, so here I am. I have one shot. I’ve got two kids, a busy family life, and two jobs. It’s really taking a lot of time from everything, a lot of sacrifices. So I have to finish it in one go.”

Véhicule

HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING

HUSQVARNA 450 RALLY REPLICA
HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING

  • HUSQVARNA
  • 450 RALLY REPLICA
  • HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
  • HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
  • Rally 2

Classement 2024

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