Roman Starikovich has done the Dakar Rally during its stints in South America and Saudi Arabia, but never when it ran from Europe to Senegal. While the Paris–Dakar Rally days are long gone, he’ll still get to experience that route in 2026 when he enters the Africa Eco Race.

Starikovich raced the Dakar Rally in 2017 and 2020, his Autolife Team becoming the first crew from Cyprus to compete at Dakar. After finishing 45th in his debut at the South American Dakar with a Rally Raid UK Desert Warrior, he switched to a Toyota Hilux Overdrive for the Saudi Dakar.

However, his 2020 Dakar was cut short by a mechanical issue at the halfway point by a massive crash that injured his and navigator Bert Heskes’ backs.

He hasn’t returned to Dakar since as he focused on running Autolife, a car rental business in Cyprus, along with other projects. Starikovich has lived on the Mediterranean island country since 1994, where he also runs tourism and film companies. His start in rally came after meeting Nasser Al-Attiyah in 2015 while the Dakar great was in Cyprus for a shooting competition.

In lieu of Dakar, Starikovich has continued racing in the United Arab Emirates. He finished 12th in Ultimate at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and has also competed in the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge. Starikovich was runner-up in T1 at the ADBC’s third race of the 2024–25 season in February.

Starikovich wrote on September 6:

I’ve rarely met anyone — even those far removed from motorsport — who hasn’t at least heard of the Dakar Rally or felt a sense of admiration for this legendary race, led by the French sports organization ASO.

Yet few know that the original Dakar (Paris–Dakar) began several times in Europe and ended in various corners of Africa — and so it remained until 2008. After its cancellation due to security threats, the race was held exclusively in South America, and since 2020, in Saudi Arabia.

But in the very lands where the first Dakar once roared, true devotees of African rally spirit — motorsport legends Jean-Louis Schlesser and René Metge — succeeded in creating an alternative: the Africa Eco Race, charting a route through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal, with the finish line at the legendary Lake Rose in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

Africa Eco Race is less publicized, less known — yet in essence, it is a symbol of returning to the roots of rally raids: navigation, endurance, respect for nature and people. It’s a competition where speed matters, but so do human values — solidarity, resilience, and reverence for Africa.

And this new challenge for the AUTOLIFE team, coming in January 2026, became possible thanks to the tireless work of all team members since 2016 — and the support of our sponsor, RoboMarkets.

A new country — Cyprus — will join the Africa Eco Race!

We are open to collaboration with organizations, brands, and all those who share the spirit of true adventure and the drive to overcome.

You become part of this legendary race — not just a spectator, but a co-creator of its story — and we are truly grateful for your support.

Together, we can make this journey even brighter, stronger, and more meaningful.

The 2026 Africa Eco Race will run from January 24 to February 7.

Featured image credit: Rally Zone