“More motivated than ever”
En bref
- After years of competing on dirt bikes and becoming a test rider for references such as Akrapovic and KTM, Toni Mulec finally had his first taste of the Dakar in 2023.
- The Slovenian who has a massive experience in terms of enduro and motocross taking part in ISDE events as well as races like the Enduropale du Touquet, flew to an impressive 24th spot overall for his first Dakar despite very little time on a rally bike.
- On the following edition, despite being injured before the start, he showed what a consistent rider he was, finishing in the Top 20 of all but one stage including a 13th position on day 8 and eventually finished 15th overall.
- He even went two steps higher last January capturing 13th position overall (4th in Rally 2)
- Far from his days on motocross or enduro tracks, what Mulec now enjoys is discovering the world thanks to rallies. His 2025 year again took him to Japan where he competed in the Tour de Blue Island.
- The man from Slovenj Gradec returns to Dakar with even bigger ambitions and will once again be part of the Bas World KTM team.
Ambition
T.M.: “I was thrilled to have finished the last Dakar Rally. It wasn’t easy -there were tough terrains, thick dust clouds, and even a near-crash- but I stayed determined and gave it my all, even riding alongside factory teams.
I realised that it was addictive after my first Dakar when I came back. Before that, I’d raced for 20 years in motocross, enduro, and hard enduro. But after Dakar, I felt as if I had never raced before, because I got so much feedback from it. Now everyone tells me that since I’ve gone for the third time, I’m officially addicted to Dakar, that I can’t escape my own skin anymore.
Given that I came back in good condition, that the result was good, there’s euphoria, there’s excitement -you want to go back and improve the result even more. On the other hand, I remember all the difficult moments before the race, when you have to knock on every door for sponsors, ask for money, and train at the same time. Because I’m not a factory rider, I have to take care of everything myself.
Now, my sights are set on Dakar 2026, and I’m more motivated than ever to aim for the very top!’’
