“F*** it”. A short, crude statement that often leads to the greatest hero stories and is exactly where this story starts. It takes a unique character to attempt the Dakar Rally, and a committed one to do it at 41. Alex Torrão holds three things close to his heart. Family, food and flat out on a rally bike, and apparently, when he puts his mind to something, there isn’t much that can stop him.
Entrepreneur and dad of three girls, Alex has his sights set on the Dakar, but getting there has been an adventure in itself. Inside his garage is where we first met, and from the start, his passion for riding and family was pouring out of his ears. This is the story of Alex Torrão, the Dad2Dakar legend in the making.
Alex didn’t grow up in rally academies, and his passion for bikes and speed spans back to his childhood. But family always came first. His devotion to his family trumps even motorsports, and although he has hijacked the family garage, elements of his daughter’s adoration are everywhere, with love hearts chalked on the walls. He has provided incredibly well for his family with his businesses designing **braais** and cooking apparatus.
A typical week for Alex is interesting. On Mondays, it’s all business, which often includes school runs. Then he spends three hours at the gym, typically dedicating an hour to sauna training. This routine allows his body to adapt to the desert heat, which he describes as more of a mental training exercise. Of course, there is a lot of riding; out of the five days of training a week, three include riding. These are shorter stints of 150km during the week, just to stay familiar with the bike, while on the weekend, he spends more time riding with mates and other enthusiasts. But when the girls arrive home from school, it’s back to being a dad. Cooking, reading and spending quality time with his family.
His passion for bikes goes back to his childhood in Portugal. He grew up in a privileged home, but one deeply involved in the community. His family built the local motocross track and shared their bikes with friends just looking to get in the saddle. He then moved to South Africa, and his devotion to two wheels continued in the farmlands, but the people around him looked different. Older, with massive bikes and intimidating equipment. He shared a memory of watching these well-equipped riders train for the big leagues and travel to Morocco, looking like astronauts in all their latest gear. Alex laughed and said, “I remember looking at these guys and saying to myself, ‘F***’, these guys look so cool.’” He particularly remembers their moustaches, which, to him, were to die for. He has always been a rider, but he realised that Dakar was his next challenge during a bike trip through Botswana with friends three years ago.
He had a moment on the salt pans, going full tilt on his bike and loving every second of it. His friend mentioned that he looked like a Dakar rider, and it landed with him. As a youngster, he idolised these riders, but the comparison made him realise that it might be feasible. Maybe he could sit with the heroes he looked up to as a kid. One thing I realised about Alex is that he rarely, if ever, turns down a challenge. And like a switch, he knew he was destined for the Dakar. But it was going to be a serious challenge.
To no surprise, being a dad and wanting to take on the Dakar is a truly monumental feat. Dakar requires an international racing licence, which means international competitions, even before applying. He completed the FIM South African Safari Rally, the Giants Adventure Rally in Botswana and the Fenek Rally in Morocco. This forced him to rapidly adapt to the racing formats, changing environments and conditioning. He had to learn navigation techniques. “The first time I opened an official world championship road book, it was like trying to read the Bible for the first time in Latin.” A perfect description of a highly developed navigation system that has since become one of his strongest points.
But passion and determination can only get you so far since his dreams demand serious resources. He has a fantastic team behind him with a few sponsorships and a lot of self-funding. Alpinestars has given him the kit to look like his heroes, with a helmet so detailed and undeniably Alex. Triumph has assisted in providing a training bike for Alex, and KTM will equip him with a race bike and a technical team when he arrives at the racing venues. He stressed the importance of being surrounded by the right people and the importance of a team. Besides the nightmare of transporting bikes and equipment, his friends lift him up, his sponsors make it happen, and his family provides motivation. He shed a tear when discussing the sheer sacrifice his family has made so far and how the overwhelming support of friends and family keeps him going, but this comes with added pressure.
After his first local outing, he was immediately off to compete at a global championship level in Botswana. For the factory riders, this would mean it was time to prove to everybody that they had what it takes. For Alex, it was about surviving and not coming last. He finished, but with its completion came the realisation of what it takes. So he got to work. “After my first global championship, I took all the stuff I wasn’t good at, and I made it good. I wasn’t good at sand; I love sand now.” There was a real sense of having to catch up, accompanied by the relief of real accomplishment. He now knew he could do it, but he had his work cut out for him.
Morocco was next, and after months of hard work, he was in a different league. “When I got to Morocco, I had already completed a lot of these races on my vision wall, and Morocco was actually where I felt properly prepped. I had the best bike in the business, and I had a great team with KTM. I had trained. My body was ready, my weight was ready. Mentally, I was prepared, and I wasn’t a cocky guy.”
He had three goals: finish safely, read the book and build confidence. Expecting to come in last, he was shocked to have finished 11th on the first day. The second day yielded a similar result. By the end of the rally, he had maintained his position, but that wasn’t important. What was important was the proof that he had what it takes. And throughout it all, he would pray.
What’s next? Well, the big-ticket item is the 2027 Dakar. His goal is to get to the start line, and that is fast becoming a reality. Alex is currently navigating other challenges, like a broken arm from a recent accident. But that’s part of the challenge. Alex has the drive, no doubt about it. He has the passion. But what’s most impressive is the roles his family and community play. It’s a story worth following, so show him support with #Dad2Dakar.
My final question to Alex was, “If a dad reads this article over his morning coffee and thinks, ‘That could be me’ – what would you want to say to him?” To which he responded, “Everything you want to do in life, your dreams – just do it. Everything I have wanted, I have achieved. Your mind is often your strongest tool, but often it’s the one thing that stops you.” Alex is a man overflowing with passion and talent. Yes, he takes life seriously, but he never misses an opportunity to stop and have a laugh, and in his words, “All you need is that one friend to say, ‘Bro, do it.’”
