Alongside the three Fantic Factory Rally riders—Tommaso Montanari, Jeremy Miroir, and Sandra Gomez—four Fantic-supported riders will also join the line-up, bringing the total to seven XEF 450 Rally bikes competing in the 2025 Dakar Rally.
Following the success of the 2024 Dakar Rally, where Fantic celebrated three bikes reaching the finish line in Yanbu on January 19, the Italian brand is doubling its efforts for the 2025 edition, with seven bikes in total. The factory rider line-up of three official riders remains unchanged, while the Rally Raid program has expanded to include four experienced “satellite” riders, who will also become part of the Fantic family at the bivouac.
The Fantic Factory Rally Team, riding the Fantic XEF 450 Rally, debuted its new line-up last October at the Rallye du Maroc—a crucial preparation for the most prestigious desert challenge. The 2025 Dakar Rally will start on January 3 from Bisha in southeastern Saudi Arabia and conclude on January 17 in Shubaytah, at the gateway to the vast Empty Quarter desert, which will serve as the finale of this year’s adventure. The event spans 12 stages, in addition to the prologue, covering a total of 7,706 kilometres, with 5,146 kilometres of timed special stages.
Joining the initial duo of Tommaso Montanari, from Terni, who is racing in his third Dakar, and Frenchman Jeremy Miroir, who finished 31st overall and 19th in Rally2 in his Dakar debut in 2024, as well as winning the Dakar fair play award and ranking as the third-best rookie, is Sandra Gomez. A World Champion in Trial, SuperEnduro, and E-Xplorer, Sandra has extensive experience also in Hard Enduro, where she was the first woman to finish the Red Bull Romaniacs. After completing her Dakar debut in 2022 and participating again in 2023, the Spanish rider returns for her third Dakar, determined to improve on her previous performances and aim for the win in her category.
As for the “satellite” riders—who will receive bikes and support from the Fantic team—all can boast passion and experience. Leading this group is Mohammed Al Balooshi, a multiple motocross champion with vast experience in Rally Raid, who will compete in the Rally GP category. Al Balooshi, the first Emirati to race in the Dakar in 2012, will line up for his seventh Dakar on a Fantic XEF 450 Rally.
Also joining the team is Tomas De Gavardo, son of the Chilean rider Carlo De Gavardo, who finished 3rd in the 2001 Dakar. Tomas will be racing his third Dakar aboard the Fantic XEF 450 Rally. After an impressive 33rd place finish in Rally2 in 2023, 39th overall, and 25th in his category in 2024, Tomas is motivated and confident, especially after his experience racing in Morocco with Fantic. Joining Al Balooshi and De Gavardo are Lebanese rider Rafic Eid Bassam, the second-place finisher in the FIM Baja Veterans World Championship, and Frenchman Maxime Pouponnot.
Matilde Tomagnini, Fantic Rally Raid Project Manager, commented: “We are heading into the 2025 Dakar with a fantastic team. The bike is the Fantic XEF 450 Rally, an evolution compared to 2024. As for the riders, in addition to the confirmed Montanari and Miroir, we are thrilled to welcome Sandra Gomez, a rider who is both tough, determined and fast. After winning the female category in the 2024 Dakar with Jane Daniels, who was also awarded the 'Dakar Spirit' prize, we decided to continue supporting women in 2025, and I am confident Sandra can deliver great results. Both Jeremy and Sandra have trained hard, while Tommaso has only just got back on the bike following a crash at the Rallye du Maroc in early October.
A major new initiative this year is the Fantic Rally Raid project. Designed to make the great rally raid adventures accessible to a wider audience while showcasing our Fantic XEF 450 Rally and enhancing brand visibility in various markets, the programme has already enjoyed significant success. In Morocco, 9 out of the 10 bikes that started completed the race, highlighting the machine’s reliability. Unfortunately, Montanari suffered a crash and sustained a hip injury, which led to his retirement.
We are proud to have riders from six different countries on our squad, all with valuable experience. At the bivouac, all riders will benefit from Fantic’s support and technical assistance. I would like to thank Mariano Roman, our Head of Racing, and everyone at the company for their trust. I feel the responsibility, but with such a fantastic team, I can’t wait to line up for the 47th edition of the Dakar.”
