The Nîmes motorcycle manufacturer Sherco is ambitiously committed to a new edition of the Dakar rally-raid

The Sherco team before the start of the Dakar rally-raid in Saudi Arabia. DR

The Nîmes company located in the Saint-Césaire industrial zone and specializing in trial and enduro motorcycles is once again taking part in the most famous rally-raid from January 3 to 17. It is counting on three riders who had mixed fortunes in the prologue this Friday morning.

The Nîmes manufacturer of trial and enduro motorcycles Sherco is once again taking part in the most famous rally-raid in the world, namely the Dakar 2025 in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 17. It therefore begins this Friday with the prologue. In total, the distance of 8,000 km will have to be covered, including 5,000 km of special stages.

The Gard company, which has been taking part in the event for over ten years, will be fielding three experienced riders this year: the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (number 15), the Portuguese Rui Gonçalves (number 19) and the Indian Harith Noah (number 20).

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Santolino's ambitions

The first rider, Lorenzo Santolino, 37, is not short of ambition, having finished 6th overall in 2021: “For me, it's the goal of the year. I make sure to be at my best when I'm on the starting line of the Dakar. […] We worked hard to improve my 6th place overall in 2021. My motivation is to be in the top 5 at the finish.” He finished 15th in the prologue this Friday.

His teammate from the Sherco team Rui Gonçalves, 39, 3rd in a stage of the 2022 Dakar, remains more cautious knowing the toughness of the event: “Everyone's first goal is to finish. I'll do my best to improve step by step.” He finished 17th overall this Friday.

Finally, the Indian Harith Noah, who won Rally 2 of the 2024 Dakar last year, indicates that his ambition this year is once again “to finish the rally.” He will try to keep his title in Rally 2. Which will not be easy because he finished 36th in the prologue in Rally 2 (57th overall).

This media exposure on the Dakar, if there are good results to be had, can only be beneficial for this company, created in 1988 in Nîmes by former trial riders Marc Teissier and Andreu Codina, which continues to grow in Saint-Césaire, with its recent gearbox activity in particular. Sherco indicates that it is the leading motorcycle manufacturer in France, with 25 vehicles and 15,000 motorcycles produced each year in Nîmes. It employs more than 150 people in France and internationally.