Jane Daniels competes in the Dakar Rally 2024 in Bike category. Described as THE most physically demanding of Dakar’s categories – racing solo while navigating the long Stages x12 days – Jane has all the capabilities of making her debut entry one to be proud of, adding to an already illustrious racing career.
And, what a year 2023, 2022 and all before has been – crowned FIM Women’s Enduro World Champion for the fourth time, along with winning British Enduro Women’s Championship – Jane has packed more into 12 months and prior than can reasonably be achieved in any given season.
Specifically, Jane’s mind-set remains transfixed on making the most of racing opportunities to further develop her race-craft, experience and knowledge both on and off track. While her passion for racing was founded in Enduro, the British rider, role model, and female ambassador of the sport has never shied away from competing in cross disciplines – winning ISDE Women World Trophy with team of 3 rider’s in 2022, racing the Scottish Six Day Trail’s, promoting the newly founded FIM Women’s Speedway Academy, and now, racing Rally-Raid in the Dakar.
Breaking down Jane’s decision’s a bit further, and fans, follower’s, and fellow rider’s gain insight that each step along the ever-learning career pathway has opened new doors of opportunity for Jane to increase her racing skill-set in the present and for the future. For sure, having raced on Fantic’s XEF 250 in Enduro, to compete in the Dakar on Fantic’s XEF 450 has meant sincere adaptation of riding technique along with managing how to read and navigate with a road-book.
The process has been planned, as Jane explains in up-date feeds: ‘The doorway to the desert has officially opened! Rally is something I never imagined possible because my dad and I would never be able to make these races from the back of our van. But Fantic Motor have given me the opportunity to take on a whole new challenge and try my skills in the desert’.
Starting with riding and road book practice in Tunisia, Jane managed each new learning curve: competing in her first Rally in Italy, managing 2 days of road book training over 400kms in Italy’s mountains, training in the sand in Portugal, to the final test – competing in Rally du Maroc to gain official entry to race Dakar Rally 2024.
All the while, switching from Rally bike to Enduro races, country to country, and managing to slot in some fun along the way. Jane: ‘I had the opportunity to look around the Fantic Racing Moto 2 team’s pit box at Silverstone! It’s a whole new world! And, I’ve been enjoying riding the newly revamped tracks down at Preston Docks with Trax MX recently, too’.
If pivotal changes occur during a racing career, the courageous take the leap, stretching just outside their comfort zone out of curiosity on what the next chapter might hold. Jane is no exception, having displayed enormous determination, strength of mind, and careful deliberation on what she wants to achieve next.
No doubt, another learning curve is about to transcend on Jane’s world, racing Dakar for the first time. Surrounded by extremely positive and motivated people, Jane has the fortitude to tackle the long Stages ahead with all the discipline she has acquired racing Enduro and now the pinnacle of Rally-Raid: The Dakar.
Header photo: Jane Daniels competing in Dakar Rally 2024 Image: Fantic Motor Team Graphics: MXLink
Words: Sharon Cox
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