Yamaha

Pablo Copetti has been chasing Dakar glory for over a decade now, and came agonisingly close to fulfilling his dream of winning the rally last year. The Argentina-born American led the quads for several stages in the first week, and was breathing down Alexandre Giroud's neck when the unthinkable happened on Stage 10: a broken engine, and game over. Frenchman Giroud went on to celebrate his first Dakar title, while Pablo was left to ponder what might have been after one of his most accomplished performances to date. The 47-year-old has been taking part in the Dakar since 2010 -the second edition on South American soil- claiming a promising fifth place in 2011 before podium finishes in 2017 and 2021. He only began competing in quad cross at the age of 31, after moving from his hometown of Cordoba to Patagonia. He has since settled in the USA, and even if he misses Argentina he is proud to be flying the star-spangled banner on the Dakar. Pablo is a fierce competitor but always fair play, and ready to celebrate his rivals’ achievements as well as his own. This is already an 11th outing for the Dakar Legend, but until he secures that top spot on the podium, he is likely to have unfinished business with the world's toughest rally.