Fourteen days of grueling battle against the shifting sands of Africa, 6,500 kilometers of rugged terrain, and the finish line in Dakar, Senegal – the Africa Eco Race has been dubbed “The Real Race to Dakar” since the original Paris-Dakar rally left for South America and, in recent years, Saudi Arabia. A challenging race from Monaco to Dakar, the AER’s motto is “Sur les traces de Thierry Sabine” (“Along the tracks of Thierry Sabine”) – a nostalgic nod to the very origins of the iconic Paris-Dakar.

As the Africa Eco Race gears up for its annual adrenaline-fueled adventure through the heart of Africa, one name stands out in the lineup – Vanessa Ruck, aka The Girl on a Bike. A seasoned off-road rider and a prominent figure in the adventure motorcycling world, Vanessa is set to take on the grueling race with a sense of purpose that goes beyond personal achievement.

Battling Debilitating Chronic Pain

The 37-year-old Brit entered her first rally race in October 2021, and just three years down the line, Vanessa is ready to take on the AER on her own with a small team of two friends and a mechanic to see her through the desert to that finish line in Dakar.

To add to the challenge, 2024 will mark the 10^th anniversary of Vanessa’s horrific accident when she was hit by a car while cycling; multiple shoulder and hip surgeries and several complications that still linger to this day haven’t deterred Vanessa from living her dream, and in just a few days, she will be lining up at the start line of one of the world’s toughest rally races.

Having completed races like the Red Bull Romaniacs, Tunisia Desert Challenge, 1000 Dunas, and the Morocco Desert Challenge among others, Vanessa feels she’s as ready as she can be for the AER – but the training and preparation for the race have been nothing short of exhausting.

“This is going to be my 10th international rally, and I’ve been training hard, I’ve focused on my fitness a lot, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to finish the race. My hip pain is something that worries me, but I’ve got my painkillers with me, I feel ready to fight, and I’ve got an amazing team on my side,” Vanessa shares.

Preparation for a race of this magnitude is a Herculean task, and Vanessa sheds light on the exhaustive checklist and the myriad of tasks that had to be completed – from preparing her Bowler Land Rover and trailer to sorting out everything from tires and mousses to trackers and tools. Instead of going with the full rally support team, which would have been a much more economical choice (yet unfortunately impossible due to other riders withdrawing from the Desert Rose Racing support crew), Vanessa is bringing her two motorhead friends Anika Bailey and Kerri-Ann Thurley to help her with physical and mental support, nutrition, and filming, and her trusted mechanic Joe Mercer from Desert Rose Racing to look after her KTM 450 Rally replica bike. Putting her own personal rally team together is a much more complex and costly undertaking, but where there is a will, there’s a way.

“My bike and my gear have all been tried and tested before; my KTM is as ready as it can be, I’ve got my life-saving Alpinestars airbag vest and my trusty Mosko gear, I’ve figured out the best plan for my nutrition and hydration during the race, and I’ve got a small but fantastic team of Anika, Kerri, and Joe to see me through the desert. Now, it’s all on me – I’ve got to get out there and race,” Vanessa shares.

The Race Strategy

Vanessa’s journey to the starting line of the Africa Eco Race has been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. From the countless nightmares to the nerves and stress accumulated over the past four months of intense preparation, organization, and logistics, she now stands at the precipice of the race, eager to leave the anxiety behind and simply ride. “I’m nervous, but I’ve trained for it, and now, I just want to ride,” she admits, capturing the essence of the emotional tumult that precedes such an arduous undertaking.

According to Vanessa, her goal is to simply finish the Africa Eco Race. Instead of focusing on the rankings, the unstoppable Brit is planning to take it one day at a time, conserve her energy and strength, and look after the bike to avoid serious mechanical issues.

“My two biggest worries are my hip pain becoming too much and having a mechanical issue that might end my race if I can’t figure it out on my own out there in the desert. I plan to be riding with mechanical sympathy and watch my pace; I’ve been stuck in the Tunisian desert for hours before, and while it may sound romantic, it’s seriously scary – while you do always have that SOS button as an option, you’re still alone out in the dunes, and I just hope that I do have the mental strength and knowledge to overcome whatever comes my way during the AER,” Vanessa shares.

While her smaller frame may be seen as a disadvantage racing against the average taller and more muscular male counterparts, Vanessa has a strategy of keeping a steady pace, accepting that she’ll need to work harder than most riders out there, and simply keep going and coming into the bivouac safely each day until she reaches that final finish line in Dakar.

A Race for a Cause

Vanessa’s decision to participate in the Africa Eco Race goes beyond the thrill of the competition. She highlights the environmental and societal aspects of the race: “It’s not always about us and having fun out in the desert, and AER is trying to give back,” says Ruck. As a brand ambassador for Two Wheels for Life, an organization supporting healthcare in Africa by providing health workers with bikes and mechanical knowledge, Vanessa sees the AER as an opportunity to make a difference.

Her involvement with Two Wheels for Life extends beyond the race, with plans to visit healthcare facilities in Gambia shortly after completing the AER. “Motorcycles can provide healthcare workers crucial mobility and flexibility – imagine small villages where the only chance to get a pregnant lady about to give birth to a clinic is a donkey and a cart. My world of motorcycles is merging with a charity to support and give back and utilize my channel to do good. In Gambia, I will see some of the facilities, ride some of the scooters, meet the Two Wheels for Life team and some local women who work there, and do presentations”, Vanessa explains passionately.

Breaking the Elitism Myth

Addressing the perceived elitism around major rallies, Vanessa dispels the notion that one needs to be a professional rider to participate in races like the AER. While some of the world’s biggest and toughest races do require serious training and preparation, Vanessa explains that rally racing is much more accessible to the average rider than people imagine.

“The elitism around big rallies is that there’s an aura of having to be a pro, but here’s the thing: if you’re comfortable enough on an enduro bike, you can start with smaller, more accessible rally races and build from there. Doing the Africa Eco Race as your first rally is definitely not a good idea – but you can start with events like the Bosnia Rally training camp, for example, learn roadbook, try out the rally format with friends in a supportive environment, and progress from there,” Vanessa shares.

She lists the European rally races like the Dinaric Rally and others as the perfect stepping stone for anyone wanting to get into the rally racing world and explains that it’s entirely possible to start with modified enduro bikes like a Honda CRF 450, as an example.

“You don’t need a rally replica bike from the get-go – just modify your enduro bike or hire one, start with the smaller events, figure out your roadbook navigation, and keep going”, Vanessa says, highlighting her own rally journey that began with a modified CRF450 and smaller races in Europe and Qatar before she took on the bigger challenges in Africa.

Ready to Race

With just days left before embarking on the ferry to Morocco, Vanessa says she can’t wait to line up at the start of the AER. The months and weeks leading up to the race have been nerve-wracking, and now, The Girl on the Bike is ready for the African terrain.

“On the one hand, I’m terrified – it’s all on me now, I’ve got to get out there and race facing all the grueling miles on rugged terrain across Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal. On the other hand, I’m ready – I plan to just keep going every day, slow and steady, breaking up the race into segments. One day, one race. Next day, next race; get out there, refuel, sleep, get out there again, and just keep pushing,” Vanessa shares.

Armed with a Guardian Bell tracker and EasySIM data bundle, Vanessa plans to keep her fans updated on her race every single day through her social media channels.

Her narrative is not merely about conquering deserts and mountains, but also overcoming personal obstacles and making a positive impact on the world. Her fearless spirit, dedication to a greater cause, and determination to break down barriers in off-road racing make her a true inspiration. The Africa Eco Race awaits, and Vanessa Ruck is more than ready to make her mark.

The racing action begins December 30th, 2023 and runs through Jan 14th, 2024. You can get more news and information on the Africa Eco Race from the organization’s website.

Photos by Alession Corradini, Flore Layole, Kristian Hoekman, Antonella Buonsenso, Vanessa Ruck

Author: Egle Gerulaityte

Riding around the world extra slowly and not taking it too seriously, Egle is always on the lookout for interesting stories. Editor of the Women ADV Riders magazine, she focuses on ordinary people doing extraordinary things and hopes to bring travel inspiration to all two-wheeled maniacs out there.