WHO IS MATTHIAS WALKNER?
M
atthias Walkner hasn’t always had
it easy when it comes to the Dakar
Rally. But one year after finishing
second behind teammate Sam
Sunderland and at just his fourth
attempt, he climbed onto
the top step of the podium in Argentina
to win his first Dakar title.
The 31-year-old has been Mr Consistent in the
40th edition of the legendary rally raid race,
calmly navigating his way across Peru, Bolivia
and Argentina to cross the finish line first
in Córdoba.
Here are some things you may not know about
the man born just outside Salzburg.
• Walkner is not the first Austri an to ever triumph
at the Dakar – compatriot Peter Reif won the
truck category in 1997.
• He is however the first Austrian rider to
take part in the Dakar since Heinz Kinigader,
who fittingly acts as Walkner’s mentor.
Photo: Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
• From the age of 16 (back in 2002),
Walkner worked in a motorcycle shop
to improve his mechanical skills and
understanding of how a bike works.
• Last year when he was second to Sam
Sunderland, it was a Red Bull KTM Factory 1-2.
• He first joined KTM in 2004.
• On his first Dakar in 2015, Walkner shadowed
defending champion Marc Coma but had
to retire from the event with illness.
• In 2016, Walkner again failed to make the finish
after breaking his femur in a crash on stage
seven. It took him 12 hours to get him to hospital
in La Paz after the crash.
• In his rehab, he did 30 hours a week for
24 weeks at Red Bull’s therapy centre.
82 KIWI RIDER
• Walkner was a good skier growing up but
admitted he never really enjoyed it.
• His first race was just three weeks after his father
bought him a motorbike. He went on to
finish second.
• Walkner only switched to rally riding when they
scrapped the motocross world championship after
his title win.
• Walkner won his first rally in Greece in 2014.