Dakar, Sunderland: “Not easy to do it again, but I know what it takes to win”

The 2023 Dakar will get underway on 31 December, with a route that is very different to that of recent editions in Saudi Arabia. Many big names are ready to fight for victory in the world’s most prestigious Rally Raid, and one of these is of course Sam Sunderland, who won both the 2022 Dakar and the world title aboard the factory team’s GASGAS. He now sets out to repeat the feat, despite a very high level of competition.

“This year was incredible and to do the double, winning both the Dakar and the Rally Raid world title, was the cherry on the cake”, comments the British rider, who is already preparing to leave for Arabia. “We worked really hard in 2022, me and the whole GASGAS team, but it was definitely worth it. Now I’m already focused on the 2023 Dakar and know what we need to be able to win again.”

 

Sunderland: “I’ve learned from past mistakes”

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Sam knows not to make the same mistake he committed after winning his first Dakar in 2017: “When I won the race for the first time, I put too much pressure on myself for the rest of the year and so didn’t start the 2018 edition with the right spirit. I’ve learned from those mistakes though and have matured. I know that the 2023 Dakar will be one of the toughest ever, but I’ll take it day by day and try to have fun in the saddle, while maintaining good pace throughout each special, so that I can be in a position to fight for the win on the final days and try to repeat what I did this year”.