The Sherco rider is already in Saudi Arabia for his fourth consecutive Dakar Rally.
After a very positive shakedown where Rui Gonçalves had the opportunity to make the final adjustments to his Sherco SEF 450 Rally, today was reserved for administrative checks and also for the final technical checks of motorcycles and safety equipment.
The Dakar Rally starts tomorrow, January 5, with the traditional prologue, this time 27 km long, leaving and arriving in Alula, which promises, unlike usual, committed navigation between rocks on technical and winding tracks
The Dakar 2024 will consist of 12 stages starting in Alula and finishing in Yanbu for a total of 7,891 kms, of which 4,727 kms will be timed over a variety of terrains and surfaces.
As usual in the world's toughest Rally, the Dakar promises to put men and machines to the test, especially this year with two marathon stages, one of which will take 48 hours without any assistance and in which the drivers will be forced to spend the night in the middle of the desert without any help in one of the six bivouacs made available by the organization.
This stage will have a time limit of eight hours on the bike and from 4pm the competitors will be forced to stop their bikes to find a bivouac where they will have rudimentary means of subsistence at their disposal.
Rui Gonçalves: "The Sherco team has done its homework after practically a whole year dedicated to preparing for this race. We have an excellent bike, a good team and a group of riders who are very focused on our goals.
For my part, I feel very confident because I know I've prepared meticulously for the Rally. I've ridden the bike for many hours in the desert and spent a lot of time in the gym so that I can be in peak form during these two weeks of racing, which will certainly be intense.
This edition of the Dakar will be a challenge for all of us, the difficulties of the terrain and navigation will be a constant throughout these twelve stages. It will take a lot of concentration to avoid mistakes and some luck. We have to be prepared and face each day with commitment and dedication.
I know that I will have the support of sponsors, friends, family and many fans. This support will undoubtedly be essential throughout the two weeks of racing in the Saudi Arabian desert."
Automatic translation of the original Portuguese version
Source: Rui Gonçalves's official press release
Photos: Rally Zone
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