Meet Kirsten Landman: One of Africa’s top enduro riders and the first African female bike-riding finisher of the Dakar Rally!
Johannesburg, South Africa (20 January 2020) – Hard enduro expert Kirsten Landman officially finished the 2020 Dakar in 55th position, while Taye Perry completed the gruelling race in the 77th position. But both of these talented South Africans have been named as the first women from Africa to ever race and finish the Dakar on motorcycles!
The 42nd edition of the Dakar took competitors over 7800km from the shores of the Red Sea in Jeddah, around the canyons and mountains of the western part of the country, over the dunes of the Empty Quarter and all the way to the Qiddiya Sports and Culture Complex near the capital Riyadh.
237 out of the 342 vehicles that started the rally in Jeddah (69.3%) appear in the final general classification: 96 motorbikes, 12 quads, 58 cars, 31 SSVs and 40 trucks. A further 19 vehicles withdrew from the race but reached Qiddiya under Dakar Experience rules.
Southern Africa had ten competitors who crossed our borders and made their way to the 2020 Dakar in Saudi Arabia, but it was two South African women who have made our country so incredibly proud.
And Kirsten joined the Good Things Guy Jacpod to chat about her entire Dakar experience!
Kirsten Landman is a professional offroad & hard enduro rider from Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. She has been riding since the age of 8 & launched her professional career at the age of 22.
What started as just fun with her family, has now turned into Kirsten making history and a name for herself worldwide in the hard enduro racing scene! Competing in major international events, the talented rider has become the first female to finish races such as Redbull Romaniacs, Redbull Sea to Sky, Redbull Megawatt 111, Redbull Braveman & the Roof of Africa.
Since then, Kirsten has achieved her South African Springbok colours while competing at the top level of her sport all over the world & most times being the only lady to do so.
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