“Years ago, I would have wanted to win it!”

Richard Main was only six years old when he first discovered motocross, at the start of the 1970s. Now, almost half a century later, the former British and European champion is preparing to take part in his first Dakar. Born in Brinklow, a small village nestled between Coventry and Rugby, Richard began competing in motocross in 1975 and secured multiple championship titles at schoolboy level. He continued to rise through the ranks and enjoyed a stellar 1985 season, winning both the British and European 125cc championship crowns for the Factory Mitsui Yamaha UK team. Though he stopped racing motocross at the start of the 2000s, Richard has continued riding and competing, branching out into different bike disciplines. After getting a taste of extreme enduro races such as the Red Bull Romaniacs, he decided that completing the Dakar would be a fitting conclusion to his long and storied competitive career. An ACU-qualified coach and sports psychologist, Richard will then be able to focus on running the Main MX School, which he set up in 2010 to provide motocross and enduro training to youngsters of all levels.

“When you do well, people ask you to give their kids a helping hand, it's all pretty organic. We set up the school to help youngsters get into racing. When I was very young, the lads I went up against were a step ahead of me because my dad never rode a bike in his life. It's quite handy to be able to pass on a few tips. We welcome kids of all levels, from beginner to Grand Prix. Teaching them from a young age gets them into the sport.” “I started doing extreme racing and someone suggested the Dakar, so I said, 'I'll have a look and see'. I wish I'd thought about it 20 years ago, but I suppose you're always busy doing different things. I'm a bit older and wiser now, so I thought I would do something for myself. Years ago, I would have wanted to win it! But when you've been competitive all your life, you've got to mellow out. The aim of the game here is just to finish. I lost my mum to cancer last year and her last words to me were 'I love you son, follow your dreams'. So here I am."