EXTREME HOPEFUL FOR MULTIPLE PODIUMS IN THE DAKAR RALLY SAUDI ARABIA
January 2021 will mark the second year of The Dakar Rally being held in Saudi Arabia, being dubbed the most extreme and intense rally of them all. Running from the 3rd -15th January, this year is set to build on the incredible route and journey through the Kingdom.
Starting in Jeddah and making its way through iconic locations such as Al Ula, NEOM, HA’IL and Riyadh to then return and finish back in Jeddah, this year's route has some fantastic new additions.
Following the incredible success of EXTREME’ athletes in the first year we are again excited to be supporting athletes in this year's edition. The EXTREME podium hopefuls include Benjamin Melot, Mishal Al Ghanim, Ales Loprais and Jan Tomane.
Benjamin Melot from France is riding his KTM #39. Benjamin finished 2nd in the 2020 Original Motul Category, arguably the hardest and toughest category of them all where you have to complete the entire rally unassisted with no support whatsoever. Benjamin was previously part of a rally service crew for 5 years before progressing to follow his own dreams to compete in the Dakar in 2018 and finish 21st in 2019.
Local Saudi favourite Mishal Al Ghuneim in the malle-moto class no 70 is a strong local rider finishing most of the local events on the podium. He is also hoping to improve on his first ever Dakar result from 2020, however, this year he moves from moto to malle-moto, Original Motul Category after being inspired by competitors like Benjamin Melot on his initial Dakar outing.
Extreme have also partnered Instaforex Loprais Praga Team who is going to head to Saudi Arabia with two trucks this time round.
Jan Tománek, Tomáš Kašpárek and Jiří Stross will enter the rally with a Tatra Jamal race No 520 – know as Queen 69 of the Instaforex Loprais Praga Team. Tománek and Kašpárek already have previous Dakar experience together from 2014, when they also drove a Tatra in the Loprais Team colours. And Tománek knows Stross as well from when they took part in the Dakar back in 2017 when they were part of Aleš Loprais’ crew.
The last time “The Queen” vehicle raced at Dakar was back in 2019. Now, she is going to feature blue and white colours, with a number 520. The red and white combination remains unique for the Praga V4S DKR. Aleš Loprais, Khalid Alkendi and Petr Pokora have been given a starting number 504.
EXTREME will again be supporting the Dakar and running media coverage on its media platforms for all teams and the Dakar, delivering added value for the series, the teams and sponsors alike. Make sure to tune in and subscribe to all of EXTREME’s social media channels for updates.
With this being the second Dakar in Saudi Arabia, having a new route with significant changes, this is uncharted territory for most teams. Although the Saudi teams don’t have a vast amount of experience on the world stage, they have a clear advantage in knowing the local landscape which has been truly stunning thus far.
There have also been notable rule changes for the 2021 Dakar in the hope to build on previous efforts to guarantee a level playing field when it comes to navigation and to slow down the vehicles to make the race safer.
The rally marks yet another milestone for Saudi Arabia as a nation and shows the importance the Kingdom has placed on sports and in particular the action and adventure category.
Notes to Editors
Contact EXTREME
Ryan Maxwell, Managing Director Media & Marketing ryan@extremeinternational.com | +44 (0) 207 244 1000 | +44 (0) 7828 503 662
Ryan Trutch, Motorsports Manager ryan.trutch@extremeinternational.com | 0 207 244 1000 | +971(0)55-5594422
About EXTREME
EXTREME is an iconic lifestyle brand that encompasses sports, music and art.
EXTREME’s Vision is to drive positive change through extreme and adventure sports. This is realised through our integrated approach that encompasses the design, development and managment of destinations, events, and media. Operating for over 25 years, and as founders of The Extreme Sports Channel, our uniquely positioned brand lives at the nexus of sports, lifestyle, and entertainment with a loyal and passionate community of more than 20 million connected fans.
As the go-to company for extreme and adventure sports we serve our clients with a multinational presence, headquartered in London with bases in the Middle East, Europe, and the Indian Ocean. Passionate and experienced, our talented team use their knowledge and relationships to strategise, design, develop and deliver some of the world's most innovative destinations, spectacular events, entertaining content, and engaging brand campaigns.
Through our support of over 125 ambassadors, the activation and sponsorship of over 80 events annually and our media network delivering over 50 million video views monthly, our central brand marketing activity promotes our activities. All of EXTREME’s initiatives drive sport participation, an active and healthy lifestyle, job creation, infrastructure development, and tourism whilst aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and key government agendas from around the world.
Vision
To drive positive change through extreme and adventure sports
Mission
Inspire to explore and experience