Tosha Shalayna (Valencia, June 3, 1995) is one of the favorites to win. dakar Riding a motorcycle, he broke the Spanish drought on two wheels that has lasted since he last won the title. Mark Koma in 2015. The Valencian showed with incredible speed at Dakar 2025 that he has everything to succeed. Finished in 2nd place, 8 minutes behind the winner.after days of riding with a broken collarbone and several falls. A year later, he dreams of victory.
Was the pressure of getting injured at the beginning of your debut as a Honda executive at Dakar 2024 before Dakar 2025 weighing on you?
No, it’s not pressure. And if you think that’s pressure, congratulate yourself. Because we have fought all this time to have the opportunity to play against great players and being in the official team means we are enjoying it now. As drivers, we all feel pressure, but we have to do well for ourselves. Whenever you feel pressure, please bless me. And I wouldn’t change it for anything. I think that’s what gives me that extra bit as well.
How would you describe the physical fitness of a biker? On Stage 9 of Dakar 2025, you got off your bike injured, got up, dusted yourself off, and got back on your bike like nothing had happened.
(lol) That becomes a burden when you get older… (lol) I may fall down many times, but I don’t think I realize the pain until long after I get up. So far, the first thing I think when I drop is “Oysters!” Run to the bike and tell him everything is fine and we are second and we can continue because we are fighting to win. “I never think I hurt myself. The only thought that crossed my mind was “It’s an Oyster, so make sure the bike is in good condition and no broken towers or road books!” Let’s not fail! ‘I don’t know if that’s a strength or not, but we have clear goals, we know the work we need to do, and we’re moving towards it.
“Right now, when I fall, the first thing I think is, ‘Oh, I’m going to run to my bike and hope that if everything goes well I can continue, because we’re second and we’re fighting to win.'”
Tosha Shalayna
What do you think about the 2026 route?
Every Dakar is very tough and that’s what it will be. The stages are long, with two marathon stages, but you’ll be sleeping in tents and without team support. It comes down to a combination of knowing how to tighten and knowing how to maintain the mechanism.
Are you worried about stones?
Now all the pilots have a very high level and skill. I think it was more due to the day-to-day fatigue of what would be such a long stage and a concern about not breaking anything on the bike than any concern about technique going through these sections. We move away from the open desert, last year’s sand and go to more stones. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. It will be very different.
“We’re going to move away from the open areas and the sandy beaches of last year and towards more rocky areas. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. It’s going to be a big change.”
Tosha Shalayna
What strategy do you have in mind?
You should arrive well-prepared and take it one step at a time. Of course, you will reach a stage where you can control the race to a certain extent, but in the early stages everyone will be pushing hard, no matter what anyone says. Is it a plan? A thousand things happen in Dakar. There are many days and it’s not just you, it’s the bike too and there are thousands of factors. We must always keep our feet on the ground and fight for victory.
Is it possible to win?
We always leave home with the same goal – victory. It’s going to be very difficult and we have great competition, but we have everything we need to win.
“We always leave home with the same goal, which is a victory. It’s going to be very difficult, we have great competitors, but we have everything we need to go towards it.”
Tosha Shalayna
Now there are a dozen or so drivers in front with a lot of pace.
This is one of the major differences from before. Before, there were at most two to four drivers who could win, but now they are at a very good level, and there are drivers who don’t stand out that much during the year, but in the Dakar they are there. There are many drivers who can perform well, win stages and be at the front, and we have to be there too.
It’s like an elimination game, with so many drivers risking it every day to perform to the best of their ability. Do you feel like you are putting your life at risk?
Well, we’re putting our lives at risk…we don’t know at the end of the day. They risk their lives every day to buy bread. Of course I’ll do my best, but I’ll never go to 120%, which could cause a fall. Ultimately, the drop could be 10% or 150%. We never think of risking our lives, but we will do our best. I know it’s a very dangerous sport, but at least in my case, the days are long so there’s always a margin of error to go very fast but safely.
A lot of people think Sanders, Brabec and you are on another level.
(Laughs) Well…I think we’ve been fighting hard in every race this year, and of course it means something to be there, but I also think there are some very strong drivers who come from behind, and there are some who suddenly win a stage. I don’t know, but the numbers look like this. The three of us have been fighting all season and that’s the reality.
What does it mean to win the Dakar?
It’s a dream. Sounds very typical, but that’s the reality. It’s a dream. Dakar has a clear meaning for me. For me it means a change in life. I went from being there surviving, to trying to find my way in this sport, to finally finding it. My dream since childhood was to run in Dakar. I wasn’t even thinking about winning, I was just thinking about racing. As I got older, I realized what I wanted and spent a lot of time pursuing it. So it must be a dream.
What do you want from this Dakar?
We’re not going to ask him to win, because we’re going to do that, but I would say give him a little bit of luck, and we all need it, help us a little bit, but in the end it’s us who have to win.
