For his second participation, Julien Jago finished the 2023 Dakar Rally in 19th place in the MotoGP classification (6th as a non-pro). Exceptional performance despite truncated preparation due to uncertainties regarding his race finances. The 33-year-old Britton returned to T-Sport for his Saudi odyssey.
How did you prepare for this race knowing that your entry was not confirmed a few weeks before it started?
I did not have the financial means to participate in a preparatory race, nor in any specific rally training. I trained with my bike in Brittany as best I could. But I had no specific preparations for the massed raid. The search for partners was more complicated than last year.
My participation has been in doubt for some time. until later in the year. At the beginning of December, nothing was static for me. It was exhausting, I was training without knowing if I would be able to participate. It was a rather strange situation.
” Being at the start of the Dakar was already a victory. »
Julien Jago
Finally, I participated in this edition of Dakar 2023 with a very good result…
I wanted to do better than last year when I finished 32nd overall on the bike. I really didn’t know where I’d be, especially without training. And then participating in the Dakar is already huge, it’s a multi-month job. It is the biggest race in the world, the longest, the hardest and the most famous. It’s such an honor to be there, it’s such an honor. Being at the start of the Dakar was already a victory. The result is exceptional.
What is a typical day for a driver participating in the Dakar?
Alarm clock between 3am and 4am, check out more between 4am and 5am, time to eat breakfast, get yourself ready. There is a first untimed part called “Contact”, which is one that you still have to complete within a certain amount of time. Then there’s the “Special,” we’re in the race, driving in the desert and crossing the dunes, meeting nobody.
And to finish off the day, there is a second ‘contact’ part to get to the bivouac. This year, we covered an average of 650 to 700 kilometers per day between liaisons and privateers. And then when you come back, you have to eat, recover, and prepare for the next day. Then around eight in the evening we go to sleep before the attack the next day.
“I don’t have a set schedule for this season. It’s very frustrating.”
Julien Jago
What are your next goals?
I’d like to do other races during the year, but it’s always a matter of budget. It’s very frustrating even if I thank all my partners who allowed me to participate in this second Dakar 2023. Maybe I’ll take part in regional races and still have fun.
I will be participating in the Hellas Rallye in Greece in May. It is part of the European Rally Championship. It’s a race I won last year, but apart from this one I don’t have a set calendar for the season. It’s very frustrating.
