Isidre Esteve and the 400 horses only in his hands: "I don't think about the difficulties"

In ancient Rome, the first great idols of speed risked their lives competing with chariots in which the power was provided by up to ten horses.. The multiple versions of the classic Ben-Hur that have reached the cinema had one of their climaxes at that moment in which the hero and the villain competed against each other at the command of chariots, chariots pulled in this case by four runaway horses to which They tried to control firmly and correctly with only their hands.

In the next edition of the Dakar, which will be held between January 5 and 19, Isidre Esteve (Oliana, 1972) will once again take on the challenge of controlling, with just his hands, more than 400. Of power, in this case, at the controls of a Toyota Hilux T1 plus with which, together with his inseparable co-driver and mechanic, Txema Villalobos, he will face a test to which he always arrives with the enthusiasm of a beginner. Whatever the challenges are.

“I think it is the most radical edition that has been presented to us since the race was held in Saudi Arabia,” he says, before embarking on what will be the nineteenth time he faces a test in which speed, navigation and endurance are key factors for all pilots, regardless of the position in which they manage to complete it.

“I have normalized it”

Reaching the finish line, in itself, is an absolutely negligible success, despite the fact that, in your case, of course, you aspire to be at least among the top 20. “If it can be closer to tenth than twentieth, then much better,” he reiterates.. «We arrived very well at Dakar 2024. We have one more year of experience with the car, and that has allowed us to change certain things, to be better on board and at the same time be more competitive,” he explains.

In his case, the challenge is twofold: compete in one of the toughest races in the world and do it controlling the car with only his hands.. A serious accident suffered in Baja Almanzora, more than 16 years ago, forced him to say goodbye to his first great passion in the world of speed, motorcycles, and condemned him to being irremediably bound to a wheelchair.

The prospect of competing again was one of his lifesavers. Therefore, what many would see as a very heavy burden is for him only and exclusively part of his reality as an athlete.. «I have normalized it, but, naturally, driving the car like this is more difficult. Being able to use my feet would make it easier, but I never stop to think about the complications. It's my way of driving, and that's it, nothing happens. The important thing is the desire and I am happy to be able to go out every day knowing that, in the end, we will be in the same classification as the rest.

“It won't be that bad either”

At the end of each stage, you should also dedicate a lot of time to recovery.. An aspect in which his wife, Lidia, is vital. “We know each other perfectly, he knows what difficulties I have and how we have to work every day,” explains Isidre Esteve, who also highlights the importance of muscle memory.. «Many times, when they ask me about the difficulties, I think “oh man, it won't be that big of a deal!”, because it's my daily life and it doesn't seem that way to me,” he insists with a smile..

«What motivates me a lot is that there is a Dakar that is very demanding. We already liked the empty quarter of the last edition a lot, but we thought that there were very few kilometers each day, and this time we will have a real empty quarter, also with this 48-hour special, a marathon stage with 300 kilometers each day. I really appreciate that the organization gives us flexibility and security to offer a stage in the dunes in which everyone will be able to get the most out of it,” he values.

On this occasion, the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, winner of the last two editions, will no longer compete at the controls of a Toyota that has proven to be a terribly competitive vehicle in the desert. The increasingly distant positions with the Japanese brand culminated in a more than notorious breakup. And that will not be the only incentive of an edition that Isidre Esteve foresees as very groundbreaking.

«Dakar 2024 is going to mark a big change. A new generation is arriving, of very young drivers, Nasser has gone to BRX, in 2025 he will compete with Dacia and then I think the team will not be very different. “We will have to be attentive to see what they bring,” reiterates a pilot who, for the moment, does not even have the idea of retiring in his head. In fact, he has not even considered what exactly he will do when the time comes. «What I am sure of is that I am going to fight every day to continue doing what I like most, whether within the world of racing and competition or outside of it. I like to live in the present to the fullest. “I enjoy what we have now, a very competitive team, with wonderful people and we try to enjoy every moment to the fullest,” he concludes.