The champion farmer of Dakar: apples, honey and a ‘touareg’ on a motorcycle

Daniel Sanders (August 30, 1994, Three Bridges, Victoria, Australia) is the new Dakar motorcycle champion. The Australian returned the Dakar crown to KTM after Honda took it last year, along with American Ricky Brabec. The 30-year-old rider has thus achieved the goal to which KTM is focusing his talent in 2020 and they decided to bet on him as a future Dakar champion.

A champion raised on his family farm, in Three Bridgeswhere his family grows and sells apples. There, on his farm, he fell into his passions. Motorcycles and bees.

Daniel loves beekeeping and makes his own honey, which he named after the nickname by which everyone knew him: ‘Chucky’. Why ‘Chucky?’, because phonetically it sounds the same as the word they use in their country to say someone drinks too fast. As a child, ‘Chucky’ drank milk very quicklyas fast as I drive as an adult. And therefore that nickname and the name of a honey that he brings to Dakar and that he shares with his team and companions, including his companion in the caravan, Edgar Canetto gain strength for the stages.

“In Australia he has a farm, he makes his own motocross and enduro circuits, there on the farm. The only thing it doesn’t have is a desert, because its area is mostly forest, and to train in the sand you have to travel 250 kilometers”explained Jordi Viladoms, KTM sports director, to the Spanish media who attended the bivouac, along with MD.

The best example for Edgar Canet

When KTM decided to sign Edgar Canet to train him as soon as possible and bring him to Dakar so that he can learn and become a future champion as soon as possible, they doubted whether to put Daniel Sanders as a companion in the caravan because of his previous work methods. Before, he was more of a free spirit, more Toby Price style, a natural talent without a better technique, but that completely changed for this Dakar. And finally, thanks to personal change, the result of his maturity in his career and putting more focus on details and daily preparation, he became the best possible teacher for Edgar.

“We’re grateful because in the beginning it was a little bit ‘let’s see if he picks up Sanders’ vices now.’ And it ended up being a good wheel to followbecause not only is he professional, but he doesn’t make excuses, he doesn’t complain, he’s aggressive and right now he has everything. And they took care of Edgar, they talked, and perhaps this is also a small part of the success achieved by Edgar”he pointed out. Sanders has been a good example. Edgar experienced the Dakar in the same caravan as the champion, understood his tasks, learned from his preparation, his management of success and leadership, which he maintained from the prologue stage. The best possible education for a future star. “The ability to adapt to his routine, knowing how he does things and how he prepares for the next day… Do I copy anything from him? all”Edgar said of Sanders. “If I can copy everything, then be the remaining leader of the final stage when I can…” he said, laughing.

This is how KTM discovered Sanders

Pela Renet spoke with Jordi Viladoms, KTM sports director, about this young talent who showed great speed in Australia. They were surprised by his enormous speed and he showed it in the enduro in his country competing on a motorcycle heavier than the others, with 500cc. “This man is an animal”said the Catalan.

“I came from enduro, we started looking for videos, information, and we warmed up”. And they signed him before he got on a rally motorcycle. “During the Covid era, there were no races and he came from Australia, ready to sign.” Viladoms compared Daniel’s case to that of Toby Price (two-time Dakar champion with KTM) because of his natural talent. They didn’t make a mistake. He is the champion they thought he was.