“We just need opportunities”

Speed is good, consistency even better. Marcelo Medeiros will be appearing for the third time on the Dakar and although his two previous attempts were impressive, they both were way too short. Year one in 2016: Medeiros was impressing the world. Second overall after stage 4 in Jujuy, he was sadly forced to call it quits after a major crash on the way to Bolivia. Year two in 2017: the Brazilian was flying on the first special capturing the win and overall lead. Two days later, the video of his tumble was all over internet. Injuring his shoulder and wrist he was again forced to pull out. Medeiros, a two-time winner of the Dos Sertoes rally in Brazil will be on the start line in Lima as one of the many favourites, just as long as he manages to stay on all four wheels of his Yamaha YMZ 700R quad. But just making it to the finish podium would already be a major success and the opportunity to promote his beautiful state of Maranhao where he learned to ride quads in the dunes along the Atlantic Ocean.

“Since I was a boy when I started racing in kart at the age of eleven, and then on quads, I followed the Dakar Rally and dreamt of one day being in that race as well. And that finally happened, it was a dream come true, but that was only possible thanks to the help of the Maranhao state and companies sponsoring me for such a project. I hope that my participation in the Dakar, regardless of the result, serves above all to show to the state governments and companies of our country that Brazilian athletes can be as good as any other, regardless of their sport or category. We just need opportunities.”