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Motorsports, Monster Energy and Acacus enough for<br />
giving me the opportunity to get back out there and<br />
show what I can do.<br />
ME: Talk a bit about the process leading into Abu<br />
Dhabi – from when you got the call from Hero<br />
Motosports asking if you would like to replace the<br />
injured Sebastian Buhler (Dakar crash), to any<br />
testing you were able to do prior to the ADDC to get<br />
acclimated to the Hero 450 Rally bike.<br />
AM: As soon as I got the call from Waffi it was an<br />
instant ‘YES!’ I love the team and everything that<br />
comes along with being a part of their program.<br />
There were a few delays in getting the bikes from<br />
Dakar, but fortunately the guys had a backup bike<br />
that I could get some saddle time and testing done<br />
on in Dubai. And then shakedown in Abu Dhabi went<br />
really smoothly. It really didn’t take long at all to feel<br />
Having guys<br />
around with<br />
that winning<br />
mentality, yet<br />
still humble and<br />
level headed,<br />
can only benefit<br />
the people<br />
around them.<br />
at home on the Hero 450 Rally bike as we can<br />
all see the level that they are competing at now.<br />
The bike is really incredible and so easy to ride. I<br />
could immediately tell how much hard work and<br />
testing has gone into it and I think the results<br />
show that.<br />
ME: This wasn’t the first time you got the call<br />
up from Hero. In 2021, just prior to the start<br />
of the ’22 Dakar Rally, Hero team manager<br />
Wolfgang Fischer hit you up to come replace<br />
Monster Energy/Hero team racer Franco Cami<br />
for the 2022 Dakar Rally. You ended up placing<br />
a highly respectable 15th, racing alongside<br />
Joaquim “J-Rod” Rodrigues. Talk a bit about that<br />
experience and how it assisted with your return<br />
to the team for ADDC, along with having (injured)<br />
J-Rod on hand to provide advice and race<br />
assistance this past week.<br />
AM: Dakar 2022 with Hero Motorsports was a<br />
great experience for me. It was the first time I got<br />
to work with the team. They were all such a great<br />
group of people, incredibly professional and<br />
made me feel right at home. It really was a nobrainer<br />
to join them for ADDC. Having J-Rod there<br />
with all his experience and advice was great for<br />
me, each day just went so smoothly and I learnt<br />
so much from him and Ross. Having guys around<br />
with that winning mentality, yet still humble and<br />
level headed, can only benefit the people around<br />
them. I’m incredibly grateful for all the help and it<br />
plays a massive part having a support system like<br />
that when you are competing at the highest level.
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