“To win a finisher’s medal is very important for us”
En bref
R.S.
- Competing in the Dakar has been one of Riné’s dreams since the 1990s, dating back to his days as a motorcyclist. He took part in prestigious events such as the International Six Days Enduro on eight occasions, and was considered one of the best Dutch off-road riders of his generation.
- Now the owner of a maintenance company, Riné finally seized the opportunity to fulfil his dream at the age of 55, in 2025, but on four wheels. He joined the Arcane Racing team alongside navigator Lisette Bakker, with whom he gained valuable experience at Baja Spain and later at the Rallye du Maroc, before heading to Saudi Arabia.
- A series of problems disrupted the plans of the Dutch duo, preventing them from completing the demanding 48-hour Chrono stage. Nevertheless, they carried on and finished the following stages to gain experience and prepare for 2026, eventually reaching the Empty Quarter. For his second participation, Riné has only one goal: to cross the finish line in Yanbu as a Dakar finisher, on January 17.
L.B.
- Lisette remembers how, as a child, her parents allowed her to stay up late, sitting on the sofa to watch the Dakar Rally on television. Who would have thought that one day she would be there herself? That dream became reality in 2023, when she made her Dakar debut as part of an all- female team. Seated in a T3 alongside Merce Marti, their adventure was unfortunately cut short by an early retirement.
- Winner of the FIA Women’s Cross-Country Selection, Lisette has established herself as one of the most prominent navigators on the off-road scene. She embodies the growing presence of women in rally-raid and is widely regarded as a committed and resilient competitor. A multiple-time Dutch rally champion, she has worked with renowned drivers such as Martin van den Brink and has been a regular presence at rally starts across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany since 2002.
- Since Dakar 2023, Lisette has continued to refine her navigation skills by competing in numerous events, including rounds of the World Rally-Raid Championship. Now partnered with Riné Streppel, her goal is clear: to chase the Dakar finisher’s medal that she has missed in 2023 and 2025.
Ambition
R.S.: “I have wanted to compete in the Dakar since I was 21, back then on a motorcycle. I drive with Lisette Bakker as my navigator since Baja Aragon 2024. We had a lot of bad luck at Dakar 2025, but we learned from the experience, especially about how a team needs to be put together to achieve a good result. Working with Lisette is perfect: whenever and wherever we can support each other, we do. The car has been fully prepared for the Dakar Rally at Arcane Racing. The car has received a few updates, but nothing drastic. When you have a good car, it only needs to be updated with minor adjustments. Everyone on the team is highly motivated, and our main objective this year is to win a finisher’s medal. That goal is very important to both Lisette and me.”
L.B.: “It has always attracted me to work with cars and go on adventures. This combination of interest got me into rally. When the FIA Women in Motorsport competition for Cross Country rallies was launched, I saw this as a chance to get into cross-country rallying. And it was! Thanks to this program and all the wise lessons from Fabrizia Pons and Jutta Kleinschmidt, I got the chance to be navigator in cross-country events. Last year we had some unfortunate technical issues which we couldn’t solve on our own with Riné. So, we competed as many kilometers as possible to experience the Dakar, from flat desert to the Empty Quarter, and everything in between. It was good to be back in the car together in the Rallye du Maroc. After so many months out of the car, it was a good practice for Dakar! Our goal doesn’t change: we want to finish the rally. We are ready, our team and car also. There have been some updates to the vehicle, but no major changes. I’m looking forward to start again!”
