Ebster on the podium?

With a rental car to the start of the crazy Dakar Rally

7700 kilometers (5209 of them counted) over sand and gravel(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Red Bull Content Pool)

Dakar Rally? No way! The name is misleading. The Dakar Rally has not ended in Senegal's capital since 2009. After eleven events in South America, Saudi Arabia is now the venue for the crazy battle between car and motorcycle drivers and the desert for the sixth time in a row.

That has not changed, name or no name. The Dakar Rally, which starts on Friday, is a merciless chase that pushes people and machines to their limits ...

7700 kilometers (5209 of which are classified) over sand and gravel, the 48-hour stage over 1000 kilometers awaits on 5/6 January. At 5 p.m. every rider has to head for the nearest bivouac. On January 8/9, the next challenge will be the marathon stage in the canyons of Al-Ula, where the riders will have to do without their mechanics.

This is nothing new for the only Austrian in the field. Tobias Ebster made his debut last year without a mechanic and won the class with aplomb. This time, the 27-year-old Tyrolean, nephew of motorcycle legend Heinz Kinigadner, is competing for the BAS World KTM Racing Team.

"I want to be on the podium in the Rally2 class!"
"I can now concentrate fully on riding. I want to finish on the podium in the Rally2 class, in the top 15 overall," he says, setting his sights high. In contrast to last year, the Zillertal native was able to prepare without injury.

Only a mishap on the journey slowed him down a little: "My cab was delayed, I missed my flight and all other flights were fully booked. The only option was a rental car - for 800 kilometers to the paddock."