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Join on Telegram Rabat – Morocco’s World Champion in the Rally-3 Motorcycle category, Amine Echiguer, aims to climb the ladder of success even further and proudly represent his country.
“Making Morocco proud in the biggest race in the world is the ultimate goal for me,” he says.
In an interview with Morocco World News, Echiguer discussed his future goals and ambitions as well as his advice for young people who aspire to become rallyists.
The Moroccan racer was crowned world champion in the Rally-3 Motorcycle category at the end of the Andalucia Rally in Spain in October 2022.
Amine Echiguer holding Morocco’s flag
Echiguer expressed his pride at being crowned World Champion in Spain, saying, “I worked very hard these last 3 years, with so many injuries, pain, overtraining, doubt and finally reaching this goal makes my faith bigger everyday.”
Echiguer has clinched several titles at many national and international competitions.
Also in 2022, he finished first in the general classification of the 22nd edition of the Rally of Morocco, after winning the third phase of the motorcycle category “Rally 3” in Laayoune.
The World Champion also won the first stage of the 2022 Moroccan Rally – Rally 1 – which connected Agadir to the southern city of Tantan. He won against France’s Guillaume Borne trophy and India’s Abdul Wahid tournament with a recorded time of 4 hours, 47 minutes, and 17 seconds.
Read Also: Amine Echiguer Leads General Classification at Rally of Morocco 2022
How it all started
Growing up in Rabat, Echiguer developed an early interest in motorcycles and motorsports. Around the age of 9, he participated in a few jet-ski and motocross races, but he didn’t start racing professionally until after graduating from university.
Seeing the Dakar Rally race through Morocco as a child had a big impact on him.
“I was seeing the Rally going through Rabat and Morocco and it inspired me a lot… the dream was born and it never left me,” Echiguer told MWN.
After graduating from the Centrale Paris engineering school, Echiguer went on to achieve great success in Morocco’s motocross and cross-country competitions before deciding to compete in Europe.
“I began my sporting career at this period of time because I had a strong feeling that I could achieve something good for me and for my country,” he enthused.
Echiguer explained his training regimen, saying that he regularly worked out in the gym and rode the bike on the same day.
“I also did many training sessions in Europe and I progressed very quickly with strict discipline and a lot of dedication,” he added.
Is it worth the risk?
Amine Echiguer racing
Motorcycle rally is known to be a dangerous sport due to high-speeds and potential collisions with other riders among other deadly risks.
“Motorcycles are always dangerous and also stressful for the family because you never know what can happen, and it’s part of life,” Echiguer explained.
“It’s worth the risk,” he continued. “I never feel more free and alive than when I’am riding a motorcycle.”
Calling for support
Echiguer expressed his disappointment at not being able to find sponsors in Morocco, saying: “The biggest challenges in this sport are its high costs and the
difficulty of finding a sponsor in Morocco, even for a world champion like myself.”
He added, “In every race, my mechanic and I struggle, and we’re up against big teams with million-dollar budgets.”
Amine Echiguer
The rally champion argues that if Morocco’s motorsport scene “develops,” there will be enough safe space to “practice on close tracks without having to practice on public roads and endangered other people’s lives.”
Echiguer also stressed that motorsport in Morocco “doesn’t have enough value to be considered as important.”
He explained: “For example, when winning my world title, I did not receive any kind of help or support coming from Morocco, which discourages other talented Moroccan riders.”
The world champion advises young riders to develop a technique, avoid injuries, and gradually increase their speed.
“It takes time to learn that, but it’s necessary to avoid collisions and injuries,” he concluded.
