Alfredo Pellicer Cardellat will continue the family legacy when he makes his Dakar Rally debut in 2027.

Pellicer confirmed his acceptance from the ASO on Tuesday.

“As a child, I watched the Dakar Rally and dreamed of one day being at the starting line,” Pellicer wrote. “Today, I can say that dream is coming true. In 150 days I’ll be at the starting line of the 2027 Dakar Rally.

“The biggest challenge of my life. A dream that runs in my family and which we have been working towards for years. Dreams can be passed down too.”

His father José Manuel Pellicer was a Dakar regular in the 2000s and early 2010s. During the Africa era, he finished fourth in class and 12th overall at the 2003 edition before retiring in 2004 and 2006. When the Dakar was moved to South America in 2009, he chose to follow the original route and won the inaugural Africa Eco Race that year. The older Pellicer joined the Dakar at its new home from 2010 to 2012 and made a final start in 2014, scoring a best finish of 20th in 2011.

13 years after José’s last Dakar, Alfredo will do the same. The 22-year-old started his career in enduro before making the jump to rallies in 2025, impressing right out of the gate as he finished fourth overall at the Baja Aragón. Pellicer continued his momentum with a fifth in Rally2 at that year’s Rally-Raid Portugal and ninth in the Rallye du Maroc.

His strong runs continued in his two World Rally-Raid Championship starts to date in 2026. He finished sixth among Rally2 bikes in Portugal and fifth at the Desafío Ruta 40, winning the Junior Trophy for riders under 25 in both races. He also plans to do the RdM and possibly the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, meaning he’d have run every possible W2RC race in 2026 save for Dakar.

With credentials like that, it was an easy approval for the ASO.

Featured image credit: Irina Petrichei / Edophoto / DPPI / ASO