At 40 years old, Joan Barreda has an outstanding achievement in his extensive career. We’re talking about winning the Dakar. A title he will try to snatch with the colors of Hero, the team he represents after a ten-year partnership with Honda.
‘I have to admit that last year, despite everything, I had planned it to be my last Dakar in which I would participate. Now, well, this year a new project arrived, with a new brand that has a lot of desire and a project in which they wanted us to support them in sports. That’s what motivated me the most, to maybe finish my career next year, to help the team in sports terms. Sportingly, I already feel fulfilled after having been in so many Dakar editions and being able to compete at such a high level for so many years. What motivated me the most in this project was that I would be able to support the team in everything related to the sports aspect, to always follow the other riders, which will be done in Dakar…’, said the experienced rider in an interview with AS.
‘They wanted me to sign a two-year contract, but things are getting harder and harder for me. It’s harder because, obviously, I’m older and because of the level demanded by the riders who are in the top positions, you have to work hard and… it’s been many years. We’ll see what happens, the reality is that I really enjoy training on the bike, doing motocross, and that’s why I keep competing. I know very well what the Dakar is, what it takes to work and what a race demands. For this year, I trusted a bit in the idea of the project, I’m in good physical shape and still have the desire and motivation to endure all these days away from home, training and being alone in the desert. That’s why I only gave the “OK” to a one-year contract, we’ll see afterwards’, added Barreda.
The Spanish rider assured that he is physically prepared to face the marathon in the desert, after some problems that have troubled him in recent times.
“I didn’t want to rush anything. It has been two complicated years, in addition to the issues with injuries, the physical aspect, it’s the state of your body that tells you if you can continue working at this level or if it makes you ponder many things. It wasn’t easy to be back here again. Obviously, it’s always good not to have injuries, it means you don’t have to set deadlines for recovery and confidence is always growing, but injuries were something I always had to deal with and gradually realized that they were part of my sports career and that I had to overcome all these barriers,”
he explained, before listing the reasons behind his departure from Honda.
“Since I started the project with Honda, I made it clear that I wanted to win with them. Basically, I maintained the relationship despite having difficult years and also having other possibilities, but still I bet a lot on them. And now, in a way, this change comes because it was something pending, to do a Dakar with another brand. It was the sports project that was presented to me. Being able to start something new was another thing that seduced me. It’s like everything in life, obviously it’s always hard to leave someone who you know wants you and has always wanted you a lot. You have many doubts and value many things when making a decision. I completed a sports phase with Honda and now, well, I’m starting a different phase in my life. I think it’s a perfect way to start this transition and I also saw that it could be the perfect time to start with Hero. I am very happy, I feel comfortable and there is a relaxed and good atmosphere. It was a proposal I couldn’t say no to,”
he explained in detail.
With his vast experience, Barreda prefers not to set goals for this new edition of the race.
‘Well. I believe we can achieve good results. Setting a goal for the Dakar at this moment is difficult and there are many riders… on paper, we will be fighting to be among the top five. There are stages that will be better with this bike and we will have others that may cost us a little more, but we will have to try to take advantage of the good things and in the remaining stages we will try not to lose too much time. I have dedicated my whole life to this race, but as I say, the life of an athlete, of a person, is lived in phases. When I’m on a bike, I have to see the positive side, that I am competitive and that I feel strong and motivated to give everything. As always, I will face this edition with motivation, desire, and enthusiasm,’ concluded.
The 45th edition of the Dakar will start on December 31st of this month and will end on January 15, 2024, in a race that will have a total of 14 stages and a prologue.
