Dakar: Tosha Schareina knocks on the door

He debuted in Dakar 2021 leaves a good impression. He was 13th overall in motorcycles, the second best ‘rookie’ in the category and achieved first position in the marathon category. Tosha Schareina, Valencian, with a German father, landed on his feet in the most difficult race in the world and left a perfect business card. Last year he had to start his project late “because of things that fell through before” and he ended up not being on time to enroll for the second year in a row. He had to watch from the sofa in his house Like other pilots, he competes in a race where he also has to be.

He did not lose hope. He trained and competed in other events to prepare for his second attack on Dakar in 2023. He had a difficult task at least equal to what he reaped in 2021. And in a very fast race, with dizzying speed and a group of fifteen official riders capable of winning stages and fighting for the general classification, the challenge is too big for Si Tosha, knowing that she will have to continue to prove her worth in order to aim to be among the favorites in the future. And despite a difficult start, the Valencian managed to: finished Dakar 2023 in 13th position overall, repeating his 2021 result in a race whose speed even surprised Barreda. No one up there loosened up one bit, squeezing to the maximum, full throttle, at tremendous speed.

So it’s no surprise that Tosha was shaking as she attended the MD as she crossed the Dammam finish line. He achieved the most difficult thing, reaching the goal he set for himself in the second week of consistently entering the top 10 in the stages and keeping up with the official riders. “I am very happy to meet the objectives that we set for ourselves in this second week of being in the Top-10 of the stage”, he commented.

Tosha pilot one GasGas with the support of Jorge Martinez Aspar. But don’t confuse the Valencian motorcycle with two favorites like Daniel Sanders or Sam Sunderland (winner of Dakar 2022). The Australian and British machine is a factory team ‘black leg’ motorcycle, competing under the same structure as the KTM, a similar motorcycle although with different colours. “I went to a satellite structure, with a motorcycle series. We only have one brand but the same motorcycle you can buy. It’s a very good motorcycle, but with a satellite team”, he qualified.

Tosha knew he had good starting material, not as good as the job drivers, but he had to let him get close. However, everything went wrong on the second day of the competition. “I broke my little finger in the second period, in the only place where there are no stones, in a stupid fall. I tore it and fell hard. We went on, I didn’t bother too much and it’s not an excuse, but because I had to hold the steering wheel hard, I ended up with tendonitis and that’s what I’ve been pulling all week”, he pointed out to this newspaper, showing his little finger, of the right hand, where he gives gas, completely bent.

“I wanted to rest in the rest stage to get there properly and I did it. And in the second week, I was better,” he added. Well, he did. His consistency among the top 10 or 15 made it clear And this allowed him to climb to the last place 13. Proof that more than what was passed shows that 2021 is not an opportunity, but the beginning of the Dakarian career of a pilot who likes to give a lot of trouble.

in the next step

After years of Joan Barreda fighting for stage wins and fighting for the overall victory, the man from Torreblanca, at the age of 39, still does not know if he will continue and look for relief in Spain. After him, Lorenzo Santolino will try to defend the honor of Spain in motorcycles after he finished ninth in 2023, even though there is still no material and structure at the level of Honda or KTM, something that does not allow him to aspire of success. The man from Salamanca is joined by a Tosha Schareina with things very clear: “Am I the future of Spain in Dakar? You will never know. What is clear to me is that I want to be”.

That success is what Schareina wants to aspire to one day. He makes sure it stays. After his first stint in motocross and his subsequent outstanding career in the Enduro World Championship, Tosha wanted to become famous in rallies. His start was great, but he wanted more. He wants to show his speed, constantly improve his navigation technique and learn from the most difficult events in the world. to choose victory one day, so Joan Barreda from Castellón was eliminated from the battle.

“I came back to stay, of course. What I want is that I am always here and I think that one day we will be together to win this rally”, he said to this newspaper at the finish line, sure that one day he will be in the “ointment”. , as Barreda has become. , or as in their days were Coma, Roma, Esteve, Arcarons and company.

To do this, he knows he must first show his speed to get a spot on an official motorcycle. “An officer’s chance? That is not known. What is clear is that I fight it every day and I am fighting it now. And when you fight for it, in the end, I think everything will come.” It won’t be easy. Mason Klein, with a private KTM and at 21 years old, showed devilish speed and is about to earn the spot that. They’re going to raffle it off. It’s that small step that Tosha needs to take. Shine on the best knocking on the door of big brands. She’s working hard to achieve it: “Right now, we’re not there yet, but it is a race of experience, which we will take and at some point we will be there to win”. Schareina is knocking on the door. He wants to be among the best.