Canada will have a rider representing our country at the Dakar Rally again in 2025. Jordan Strachan will be riding under our flag at the race in January, aboard a Kove 450 Rally.
Strachan’s effort is backed in a large part by Kove Canada, which, like other Kove national distributors, is backing up its customers by supporting new racers’ entries into the Dakar Rally. Once he arrives at the race, Strachan is riding as a privateer but will have access to Kove’s factory mechanics if he needs help.
An Albertan, Strachan’s day job (actually, he works the night shift, to help pay racing bills) is in a coal mine, and he also works at ranching. You might recognize Strachan’s name from his racing history. His mini-bio on the Dakar website says he’s been racing his whole life:
“In 2011, I was a pro in Canada and switched to hard enduro a year later. Eventually I switched to rallying to see the world ten years later. My first event was the Sonora Rally which I finished in 7th position. I broke my back there and had to take a year off.
“I returned to the Baja Rally and did well there (1st in malle-moto) and applied for the Dakar. The goal was to be on the 2025 Dakar and when I got my acceptance letter, I was full on. I got organized and bought a Kove bike to have at home for training.
“The ambition is to finish that first Dakar and try to do my best in the Rally 2 class but I have no experience so I’ll need to tone it down. I need to first figure out the Dakar before I come back to race it. I hope the course is as hard as possible because I feel better in the technical sections. I don’t have the speed of the top guys but on technical sections I can make up time.
“The Dakar really consumes your whole year. I hope it can help me get out of my coal mine in the future.”
Strachan will wear #116 this year. See his Dakar page here, and we will do our best to keep you updated on his adventures in the Saudi Arabian race in January.
