N° 050 - TEAM YAMAHA HOLLAND TEAM
 - FIGURA
- Ivan
- SVK
- 02/11/1967
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Ivan Figura: “Ride the first stages like at bike school”
"In motocross, one often says that you have to manage a very fast start and then carry on easing your speed up progressively during the race before finishing like a cannonball. On the Dakar, I think that I’m going to ride the first stages like at bike school. Then we’ll see".
Ivan Figura takes on his first Dakar with the special care needed by any kind of rookie. The Slovakian isn’t however a bike novice. He’s even part of the well known champions of his country, especially since his victory in the national enduro championships in 2003. He considers the Dakar as a reconversion, a new page to write in his riding career. "I had three accidents at very fast speed with competition bikes. Today I’m looking for new sensations. It’s the main reason that pushes me to switch to rallies and especially the Dakar".
After his accidents, Ivan had to go through surgery on his knee. His treatment troubled his training program. But this setback hasn’t touched his determination and enthusiasm. "I know that I can still count on my physical strength and my will power to make it to the finish of the Dakar", he explains.