The 2025 Dakar Rally is nearly upon us with the world’s best off-road racers getting ready for 14 days of gruelling action over the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia in January, so how exactly do they prepare their minds and bodies for motorsport’s fiercest test? Here is all you need to know:
– The Dakar Rally began its life in 1978 from Paris, France, to Dakar in Senegal with some of motorsport’s biggest stars succeeding and failing in the iconic, strength-sapping race over several types of rough terrain.
– After switching up to South America for a spell from 2009 to 2019, the last five races have been held in Saudi Arabia with the sixth edition there running in the desert over its massive dunes from January 3–17, 2025.
– The route in Saudi Arabia covers close to 8,000 kilometres spread over 12 timed special stages with the 47th edition beginning in Bisha on January 3 and finishing in Shubaytah on January 17.
– Motorsports’ most bruising event sees the athletes compete for up to six hours per day over unknown terrain with dehydration, constant blows to the spine and disorientating brain fog a painful constant for them.
– Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bikers Daniel Sanders and Luciano Benavides, as well as Ultimate class contender Lucas Moraes, all know exactly what it takes to carve out stage wins during the race while the constant twists and turns take a unique toll on their minds and bodies.
– In terms of preparing for his own challenge, Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Moraes explained: “At my first Dakar I suffered from motion sickness, so I now do exercises which help to prevent it. If I know it’s going to be a long stage with ups and downs, I’ll take some medication that helps to avoid motion sickness. So it’s a combination of medicine and training.”
– Australian Sanders came out hot in his 2022 rookie race to finish fourth in the bike race and the 30-year-old has found a relaxing, if unusual, system that sets up him for the intense battle he faces at each stage.
– He revealed: “I like to have a rave cave in the morning at the Dakar. This helps to break up the nerves and helps me to get in the zone. I just focus on the music and start jumping around the camper van. It’s a way to get everyone’s vibes up, to have a bit of fun and help take the pressure off.”
– Argentine Benavides, who picked up three stage wins in the 2023 race, is quick to point out the importance of other people in helping him overcome any doubts that might set in during the race.
– The 29-year-old admitted: “The physical and mental demands of racing the Dakar Rally are extreme. We’re riding at 150kph for hours and hours alone in the desert for two weeks. That’s why it’s so important to work on both physical and mental resistance. Consulting with my psychologist is a great benefit for me because I release all of my frustrations after every stage. I tell him what I felt, my doubts, my fears and the good things as well. It brings back my focus to the next day’s target.”
– For Moraes, it is hard not to let thoughts drift to family and friends back home. The Brazilian added: “It takes you away for a lot of days and this is definitely the toughest part for me. My daughter always asks me to bring her home a trophy! I try to use my job as a professional athlete to show my kids that they can also chase their dreams when they grow up.”
– Peak physical fitness is a given for anyone who harbours serious hopes of stage victories or overall title success in their respective categories as the equipment drain put on their bodies every day is immense.
– 2024 Rallye Du Maroc champion Sanders said: “We have a lot of weight on us on a heavy bike. Our boots are 5kg, the airbag vest is 2kg, the helmet is a kilo and we take three litres of water out with us. To get ready, I do as much cardio as I can. When you’re feeling strong you can focus on using your skill rather than just trying to hang on. When things are going well, you can let the bike do the work and just float along on top of it.”
– Adapting to change is key to success whether getting lost in the desert or suffering equipment malfunctions, something 2023 World Rally-Raid Champion Benavides knows well after seven attempts.
– He declared: “Being adaptable is one of the keys of the Dakar because you can be the fastest rider at the start, but keeping that going for two weeks is very difficult. You have to be very smart and listen to your body when you’re tired because you will experience fatigue no matter what.”
– Sanders added: “Recognise mistakes quickly, so a small error doesn’t become a big issue. I come back to the last note in the roadbook where I know I was 100% in the correct place. I’ll start reading the notes aloud and talk myself through it. It’s also a good moment for a drink or food.”
– Even finishing the race is a huge achievement with all three elite athletes hoping to make it to the Shubaytah finish with a stage win or ultimately an overall title to their name, if everything clicks.
– Moraes, 33, said: “The Dakar is definitely the toughest race on Earth. The toughest thing to do is to control your emotions because the Dakar really is a mind game. Last year we lost second place on the second to last day and that can happen. You have to bounce back immediately from those disappointments because the next day comes around quickly.”
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