Mirjam Pol: “Dakar is a 100% team sport”
15/12/2023
Lisa Cavalli
Mirjam Pol made her debut at the age of 22 as the first Dutch motorcycle racer in the Dakar Rally in 2006. She has claimed victory in the women’s classification of this iconic competition three times, having completed the rally nine times. Notably, she stands as the only woman to have participated in the Dakar across three different continents.
In both 2021 and 2022, she secured the title of Baja Women World Champion, and in 2022, she added another achievement by winning the Rally-Raid Women Championship.
Nowadays you are a well-known and respected champion, how was your start in the world of motorcycles?
I had the best start you can imagine. I grew up around and on top of all kinds of motorcycles. I started racing motocross at the age of 4. My father was a sidecar racer. He is a 6-time national champion on grass track and international motocross racer. And my older brother is Dutch champion enduro and vice-champion motocross. And off course my mom was there to help and support as in many other ‘motorcycle families’. So, for us it was a ‘family-thing’.
Did you have support from your family when you chose this career?
I don’t know exactly what you mean with ‘career’, because I don’t see it as a career. If it was a career, I would get money out of it and racing Dakar only costs money. So, I see it as an all-consuming (time, effort, money) hobby/sport born out of pure passion. I wish I could make a living out of it! But I love it anyway.
And yes, I had – and still have – a lot of support from my family. But not only from my family, also from friends and sponsors. Dakar is not something you can do on your own, off course during the day in the race I’m all on my own on the bike, but beside that it’s a 100% team sport.
How do you live your motorcycle experiences? Do you use them only for competitions or also in your free time?
To be honest, I’m not really interested in motorcycles. I just like to race them! I’m also not really interested in the technical side of it. I just learn what I need to know in case my bike doesn’t want to start or something breaks down during the day.
In Dakar it’s better to be a good ‘MacGyver’ then to be a great mechanic. Because you don’t have any parts with you on the track and the assistance is not allowed to get on the track to help. So, great if you know how to fix your engine with your eyes closed, but you ‘re no good without the necessary parts. In rally racing ‘duct tape, zip ties and iron wire’ are the magical words. It doesn’t matter how you fix things, as long as you fix them!
I don’t own or ride a ‘normal’ bike on the street. There’s no challenge for me there. And certainly, no fun… I don’t feel safe on a bike in normal traffic. I’m from the Netherlands and my country is not really a ‘motorcycle’ country. The people on the streets are not used to motorcycle riders, so I believe it’s really risky to ride a bike in traffic. I believe there’s more risk here in traffic as there is in the Dakar rally. I know that sounds strange. But in Dakar we’re all Pro’s, well trained and going in the same direction (if you don’t get lost).
So, I only use my bikes for competition and training. That’s all I need. I like the competition, I like the challenges, I like the same minded people on and off the track. No matter how different we can be, we all speak the same language because we share the same passion.
Some female riders in many disciplines have told us that competing against men raises the bar and that there are no differences when wearing a helmet. For others, it is fairer to compete among women, especially due to different body characteristics. What is your opinion?
Both ways of thinking are correct. And I think the difference in thinking is created by the level you compete in and if you’re active in competition or not. It’s a well-known fact we learn more racing against men and it definitely raises the bar. For example, when you start young and race against boys you learn how to ‘push back’. In general, when it’s only women racing, we are just a little bit more ‘polite’ while racing.
But it’s too easy to say there’s no difference when wearing a helmet. First let me say, I have a background and diplomas in physical education and fitness. So, when it’s about men and women, we are different, in many ways; anatomical, physiological, psychological, etc. It’s a fact we are not as strong as men and it’s also a fact men and women are ‘wired’ differently in their brains.
But that doesn’t have to mean we can’t win from men. I believe that in complex situations like rally racing where it’s not only about ‘physical strength’ we even have a small advantage. We know we are physical weaker and by acknowledging that we find other ways to compensate with other strengths we have and can control. We more-or-less ‘learn’ ourselves to race smarter and more economically.
And don’t forget the advantage of the psychological strength we have being the ‘underdog’. And do you have any idea how often we are underestimated by men? All things we can use in our advantage. Never ever underestimate us!
This year you also participated in a Bajas World Cup race in Qatar, finishing in first place among the four participants. Why do you think there are so few women in the Rally Raid World Championship? What is the solution, in your opinion, to increase the interest of women and sponsors?
This question is way more complex than you probably realize, but I will give it a shot.
First, yes I finished first in women class in Qatar, but that is the second classification I look at. I also finished third overall, which is for me personally a bigger achievement. If it’s a World Championship race, I check the 450/general classification first. That’s the classification that gives me a correct insight on my race. Some of the men in the 450/general class are always there at all races. So, if you’re normally just in front or just behind one of them you know you had a good race or not. In women class we are just with a few and only a few of those have the budget to race multiple races.
So, most of us, including myself, we pick our races on budget. Which also means in a lot of cases we only race once or twice a year against each other. It’s possible we race in the same competition and we’ll even never meet. For example, I can choose to race Qatar, Portugal and Hungary and someone else chooses to race Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Spain. We can have a huge difference in riding level, never meet each other and end up with the same points in classification.
Now about solutions for the increase of women in Rally Raid and sponsorship.
Regarding the first, I don’t see it as a huge problem that needs an instant solution. Calm down, we’re on our way, it just takes time… As many other things in life, good things take time, it’s a process and it slowly progresses. Off course we can help the process and speed it up a little by ‘showing’ ourselves. Getting out there and show the younger ‘riders to be’, don’t be afraid, we’ve already done it, we’re already here, you can do it as well. I personally believe that the younger girls who really want to race will find their way to it, with or without ‘our’ help.
Then the bigger problem… sponsorship. I wish I have a solution for that, but I don’t have. And that’s a problem for all amateurs, both men and women. Unfortunately, we choose an expensive sport. For me personally that’s the biggest challenge each and every year, finding a budget… If you or anyone else find a solution, please let me know.
The Dakar is the most famous competition in the world, but we won’t see you at the starting line this year. It must have been a very difficult decision for you.
Yes, unfortunately I will not be at the start of the Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia next January. I regret that choice, even though I made it myself.
Earlier this year, I got infected with the Corona virus. Initially, I seemed to have a fairly normal recovery. Unfortunately, this recovery stagnated after a while. For a long time, I thought it would fade away and I still had quite some time for recovery.
But the months passed by and at the end of October I reached the point where I had to make a decision. To go to Dakar or not… with my whole heart I said “yes, go” without any hesitation. But my mind said; “no!!! It’s not safe!! You’re in no condition to race!” And I knew my mind was right, I just couldn’t, or didn’t want to, believe it. But, If I am even slightly honest with myself, it’s not a choice at all, it just won’t work.
The way I see it, we motorcyclists are specialists in ‘risk management’. The challenge for us is to ride as fast as possible without crashing. And that means; riding at the edge of your capabilities. In a split second we have to decide, open or close the throttle? Turn in or not? To brake or not to brake? To look or not to look at the roadbook at that very moment. Can my bike handle this? One bad decision and you’re down on the ground.
And there is a whole process preceding that. I eliminate most risks in my preparation before the Dakar. By arriving well prepared at the start, with a good bike, a good team and in good shape.
And the remaining risks are the so-called ‘risks part of the job’, which I accept as a motor rider. But this whole situation is completely different. I’m not fit, I’m not sharp and that’s not going to change before the Dakar starts. And in all cases it’s always “safety first”.
During the Dakar, in the long stages, how do you feel those endless hours on the motorbike? Can you distract yourself? What are your most frequent thoughts?
I don’t need to distract myself during the long road sections. Before the special I’m concentrating and running the day’s stage through my mind. How many kilometers we have today? How many kilometers rocky section? How many kilometers dunes? What to do with refueling? How to tackle the special today? Which other riders are just in front or behind me? What to do with the weather forecast/clothing. Etc.
After the special I try to process everything that happened during the day and let the race pass by again. I start with analyzing everything that happened during the day. After that I start to prepare for my English interview (so I’m not searching for the right words the whole time!) and after that I go on with the ‘what’s on the program for tomorrow’. I also start preparing my arrival at the bivouac. What time do I expect to arrive at the bivouac? Can a take a shower and eat before the briefing? Do I need to prepare something special for tomorrow? What time do I need to get up tomorrow morning? Etc. As you can see, there’s always something going on in my head, so I don’t need a distraction. I’m going from one stage straight into the next.
The only two thing that can be a real challenge on the long, long road sections are fatigue and injuries. Those can make the road sections twice as hard and twice as long.
You are the only woman to have raced the Dakar in three continents: Africa, South America, Saudi Arabia. Which edition was the toughest, and which one excited you the most?
My first Dakar in Africa in 2006 excited me the most. It was both my first time in Dakar as my first time in Africa, so you can image it made a big impression on me. It was a dream coming true. I only knew the Dakar from television. And no one expected me to finish, because I was only 22 years old and had no experience in Rally Raid whatsoever. Dakar was my first rally and I managed to raise above all expectations including my own.
Almost every day I came in as one of the last riders and almost every day I came in in the dark. But I never gave up. Only 40% of the riders made it to the finish that year. Statistically it was the toughest Dakar I ever competed in. I’m also very proud to be able to say I raced ‘the old Dakar’ or ‘the real Dakar’ as they call it nowadays.
One of my toughest ones was Dakar 2018 in South America. The reason for that: during the fourth stage I broke my forearm after 16,8 kilometers. I got up and knew directly something was wrong, but I could still hold my hand on the handlebar and I managed to continue and finish that day’s special of 330 km. A big achievement, but there were still another 10 stages between me and the finishers medal… We were able to fixate my arm in a way I could still hold the handlebar but also reduce the pain a little. And so, I continued for another 10 stages, tackling them one by one, by using my head, slowing down the pace and managing the pain. I made it to the finish, but not without the Dakar taking its toll (see picture below).
And last but not least the 2020 Dakar in Saudi Arabia was also a though one. Not physically, but mentally. That Dakar I lost two friends. In Rally Raid we’re more-or-less one big family. First my old teammate Paulo Gonçalves crashed and died during the seventh stage. I remember passing the scene on a distance, not knowing the exact situation and not able to see who was down on the ground. But it all looked bad straight away; the helicopter, the organization staff, the medical staff, the other riders at the scene. Without stopping and without anyone telling me anything, I already knew… Not that it was Paulo who passed away, but that ‘one of us’ passed away. After finishing the stage upon arrival at the bivouac my team took me apart and informed me about Paulo’s passing.
It’s the worst thing that can happen in a Dakar. And it happened twice that year. Only four days later my friend and fellow countryman Edwin Straver also crashed and died. In Edwin’s case; I was just a few places behind him so when I arrived at the scene I stopped to see if I could assist any of the other riders already there. You can imagine it was a big shock looking into Edwin’s helmet to see he was already ‘gone’. The helicopter with medical staff arrived quickly, treated him as far as possible and airlifted him to the hospital, but to no avail. He died a few days later.
In Dakar you can realize your wildest dreams and experience your highest highs, but it can also take you to your deepest lows. Most of the time we talk about our ‘heroic’ actions and adventures, but there’s also the flip side of the medal. And we all know it… We race, we search for our limits and try to push them, trying to find our balance between going the fastest we can and not crashing. That’s a thin line to stay on and sometimes it goes wrong. In Dakar you learn quickly that joy and sadness are closely related.
What advice do you feel like giving to a woman who wants to follow in your footsteps?
If you really want something, go for it! Don’t let anyone else tell you what you can or cannot do. Keep in mind it’s a big battle to get to the start of the Dakar. It will probably take you years and years of preparation and training, but if you really want it, you can get there as long as you’re determined. And don’t be afraid to fail. Believe in yourself. At some time everyone fails at something. If you try and fail you learn. You only know you can or you can’t do something after you’ve tried.
And the biggest secret in Dakar? For the amateurs it doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are as long as you reach the finish… In this world there’s only a select small group of riders finishing the Dakar. It’s the finishers medal that counts. When I’m attending big events the two most frequently asked questions are ‘wow, did you race Dakar?’ And the second one is ‘did you make it to the finish?’. No one asks me about classification, just because everyone knows; finishing is winning.
Follow Mirjam Pol on Facebook and Instagram
ph. courtesy Mirjam Pol
Translation: Lisa Di Blas
Great! Your item has been added to the cart!
