“Is there a greater adventure than the Dakar?”
En bref
D.K.
- Orange Bull: that's the nickname Daniel Kersbergen and Michiel Goegebeur gave to their team. A reference to the Netherlands’ colors, but also to the bull, a massive animal like rally-raid vehicles. "It’s also for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, even if we don't have the same skills... nor sponsors!", jokes the driver.
- Motorsports lover since childhood, Daniel started with small national rallies eight years ago. A visit to the Morocco Desert Challenge finally convinced him to turn to desert racing. Fenek Rally, Fenix Rally, MDC: the Dutchman, who lives near the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, has gained experience in recent years, getting closer each time to his Dakar dream.
- The 55-year-old rookie met his navigator… at work! Daniel, who manages Camping Polleur and a company dedicated to outdoor activities, initially hired Michiel for a job. The maturity and competitiveness of this young sailing enthusiast impressed Daniel, who took him to the 2024 Fenek Rally. They finished second, the race being a successful test that confirmed Michiel as his new trusted man.
M.G.
- Before becoming Daniel's navigator, Michiel was his employee! They met when the young Belgian was recruited to learn how to be an outdoor instructor. The boss decided to take his protégé to the Fenek Rally, where their second-place finish, and near-perfect performance in terms of navigation, convinced the duo to continue together.
- While riding on sand is still new to Michiel, marine navigation holds no secrets for him. He has participated in events like the Ocean Race as a sailor, and sees parallels between the calm, measured, reasoned, and competitive mindset required on a boat and in a buggy.
- Still studying -now sport marketing-, Michiel is, like Daniel, going to do his very first Dakar. Aged 25, he’s one of the youngest newcomers of the Challenger class.
Ambition
D.K.: “I've watched the Dakar Rally on TV every year since I was 10 or 12. I used to play with toy cars in my garden sandbox. That's where the dream began. I have some rally-raid experience, but is there a greater adventure than the Dakar? As a rookie, I'm really expecting a spectacular race and a real adventure. Not just mechanical and physical: you also need a tough enough mentality to finish the rally. I'm training to prepare my body because the days are going to be long. There will be two marathon stages, but on the rest day you can arrive at the bivouac as late as 2 p.m. That could mean a third marathon day! It's going to be tough. Our goal is to cross the finish line and get the finisher's medal. When I see the competitors in the Challenger category… Oh no, I don't have any specific ranking goals! We'll be driving at 80% to avoid damaging the car, because we're part of a small team with a small budget, with just two mechanics. We're a bit like the Original by Motul bikers: we also have to work at the bivouac; the day isn't over when the stage is finished! We embody the Dakar spirit: true amateurs who come to ‘Dream, Dare, Live It. It’ all about it!”
M.G.: “What I take from my sailing experience is that you have to manage things in order to make it to the finish line, just like in rally-raid, and that’s a key lesson. You also have to keep a cool head and communicate well with your teammates. So far, everything has gone very well in the car with Daniel -I have a lot of trust in him, and I think we collaborate quite nicely. We spent many weekends working on the car to prepare it as best we could, and we are very happy with where we are. This will be our first Dakar, so we expect many surprises and a lot of new things. We know it’s going to be long and tough, so we will just try not to push the car too much. Our main goal is to finish. We did some dune sections in Morocco, but it was only about two times 40 kilometres. Here, we will have many more kilometres, which I think will be our biggest challenge!”
