FIM Bajas World Cup, round 8
The youngest Dakar finisher in 2021, today, at the age of 21, Konrad Dabrowski won the FIM Junior Rally Raid World Championship and has just added two new and beautiful crowns to his palmares: Winner of the FIM Baja World Cup Bike and Junior.
It is no coincidence that the young Pole is shining high in the sky of Dubai this Saturday. With his head on his shoulders, Konrad is not a mad dog, he calculates his risks and works daily to be not only physically but also mentally fit because the discipline of Rally Raid and Bajas requires concentration, endurance and intelligence. He also understood very quickly that navigation was one of the keys to success.
Based for a large part of the year in Dubai, he trains in the Al Qudra desert, just outside the city, under the watchful eye of his coach, his father Marek Dabrowski - whose reputation is well known in the sport as a three times World Champion in the Motorsport - and his „uncle” Jacek Czachor, Marek's long-time friend and teammate.
After the 2022 Dakar, which he finished in 27th position, Konrad tackled the FIM Rally World Championship season, where he won the Junior title, and the FIM Baja World Cup.
Dubai International Baja was the final of the FIM Baja World Cup, where riders enter on the basis of points from their two best results of the season and Konrad came out on top in the Juniors with 50 points and 41 in the Bikes, in third place.
Assured of the Junior World Cup, on Friday the setbacks of title contenders al Balooshi and Magalhaes opened a royal road for Konrad who did not let himself be impressed but managed his race very intelligently. Today, his hours of training with the road book in the desert paid off, the young Pole opened the track for most of the race, finished second in the race but ahead of his rivals for the FIM Baja World Cup title!
"It was a great race to end the season," said Konrad. "I came here in third place and I leave with the crown! I am really happy because it was a tough race and I have been riding all season with my rally bike which is much heavier and less manoeuvrable than the smaller enduro or cross bikes but at least it prepares me for the Dakar. I also opened the track most of the time and it was sometimes complicated to navigate in the dunes. But this performance is a great satisfaction for me because it is the reward after months of training, it is super motivating and I can't wait for the Dakar!"
To be continued: Konrad Dabrowski's next adventures on the Dakar from January 1st to 15th 2023!
Source official press release
Photo: RallyZone
