Off-road motorbike racer Ashley Thixton set for iconic race
Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
OFF-road motorbike racer Ashley Thixton is geared up for his maiden appearance at the iconic Dakar Rally which revs off in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
The Dakar Rally is the toughest and the ultimate test for off-road motorists and bikers consisting of 12 stages within 14 days of racing over five thousand kilometres in the desert of Saudi Arabia.
Ashley Thixton who made his name in Motocross will become the second Zimbabwean rider to fly the country’s flag at the biggest annual rally raid after Graeme Sharp in 2020.
The 30-year-old is Zimbabwe’s sole representative among 137 riders from around the world who have entered to race in the bikes section of the 2024 Dakar Rally.
Thixton, who will compete under the HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing team which comprises 2023 W2RC Rally3 champion Ardit Kurtaj, is aiming to complete the race.
“I am super excited to be here, I rode the bike yesterday and I enjoyed every moment of it, now ready for the prologue tomorrow before the main races but I am enjoying and living my dream and my goal is to just finish the race,” said the biker, Ashley Thixton.
The Dakar Rally used to be held in the Sahara Desert but has since been moved to Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, but in 2009 it was held in Latin America.
