Gerard Farrés has become a mainstay of the Dakar Rally’s SSV class since the turn of the decade. For 2027, however, he will return to his roots by competing on a motorcycle.

Farrés did 11 Dakars on a bike between 2006 and 2018, finishing as high as third at his penultimate start in 2017. He’s been a factory rider for several brands including Yamaha, KTM, Aprilia, and GasGas. His final bike Dakar in 2018 saw him place fifth overall.

The Spaniard made the switch to driving in 2019 and has certainly enjoyed his time as a driver, even earning a factory ride with Great Wall Motor at the Taklimakan Rally earlier this year.

However, he has been open about wanting to end his Dakar career on two wheels where he started. Farrés doesn’t intend to retire after the 2027 race, but the 47-year-old has a plan in place for when he finally decides to hang up his helmet.

Given how common the opposite is, it’s rare for a Dakarian to switch from four wheels to two. Jean de Azevedo is one of the more notable cases, winning two bike stages in 2005 and 2007 before switching to driving in 2009, then returning to bikes in 2013. Jurgen van den Goorbergh has bounced back and forth between classes at Dakar, starting on a bike in 2009 then driving a buggy in 2010, returning to bikes from 2015 to 2018, then navigating a UTV since 2020.

Farrés retired from this year’s Dakar after four stages for medical reasons.

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