5 days ago
Dakar champ Sam Sunderland wants to ride around the world in 19 days
Dakar Rally champion Sam Sunderland has set his sights on a new world record attempt, revealing at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed that he plans to become the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe on a motorbike.
After a stellar rally-raid career that includes victories in the gruelling Dakar Rally in 2017 and 2022, the 36-year-old Dubai-based rider is now focused on breaking the record of 19 days, eight hours and 25 minutes, set by Kevin and Julia Sanders in 2002.
To beat that time, Sunderland will need to cover nearly 1,600km per day for 19 days — the equivalent of riding the length of the UK daily.
He departs from London in September on a Triumph 1200 Rally Explorer. Factoring in flights and crossings, the journey will take about 30 days and cover 15 countries across multiple global time zones.
The six-stage expedition begins in England and heads across Europe to Turkey, before continuing into the Middle East. From Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Sunderland will ride some 2,000km to Dubai, his adopted home base.
After a long-haul transfer, the journey resumes through the remote Australian outback and the scenic landscapes of New Zealand, before heading north to tackle the vast terrains of the US and Canada.
Once North America is behind him, Sunderland's path leads to Morocco — his gateway into Africa — before re-entering Europe via southern Spain and making a final sprint home to the UK in pursuit of a world record.
Sunderland's attempt will follow the same parameters set 23 years ago. Under the rules, the clock stops during ocean crossings. His journey must be continuous, follow a single direction, start and end at the same location, touch two antipodal points and cover at least 29,000km. He must also complete the entire ride on the same bike, his trusty Triumph 1200 Rally Explorer.
The challenge is an ultimate test of endurance, demanding both physical and mental resilience. As the 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid champion, Sunderland is no stranger to tough conditions, but this adventure will push him to the limit.
As not only a rider but also a father and adventurer, Sunderland hopes to inspire others to embrace exploration, challenge their limits and redefine what they believe is possible.
'I know this challenge will test me to the core — physically and mentally,' says Sunderland.
'There will be days when I'm out there for 15 or 16 hours in the cold and rain, heat and humidity, fighting the wind, battling exhaustion, and mental fatigue. This, plus jet lag, and crazy time zones — it's going to be brutal.'
