Rallye du Maroc: Lars van Berkel earns his Dakar 2027 ticket

Lars van Berkel has made his gamble pay off. The BAS World KTM Racing Team rider, a former motocrosser, finished the 2026 Rallye du Maroc 21st in the overall standings in his very first rally-raid. Better still, he earned his ticket for the 2027 Dakar along the way.

A strong final day

On the last day, Van Berkel recorded his best result of the week: 13th in Rally2. That final special, 259 kilometres around the Chegaga dunes with the finish at the Zagora bivouac, was his best of the week. The Rallye du Maroc counted towards the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC); in Rally2, victory went to Martim Ventura (Honda).

From motocross to rally-raid

Van Berkel knows competition: he raced at the highest level in motocross, in MXGP, MX2, EMX250 and AMA Pro Motocross. In 2015 he won the EMX250 race at Lommel. He then spent six years as a professional beach racer. Six months ago, he says, his situation looked completely different: with a badly injured shoulder he wondered whether his racing career might be over, until one conversation changed everything and he decided to go all in for the 2027 Dakar.

A week of learning

In Morocco he started as a complete rally novice. After the prologue he stood 31st overall and 21st in Rally2. The first real stage was 636 kilometres long, with a 268-kilometre special, the equivalent of Veghel to Berlin in his words. He finished it 21st in Rally2 and 30th overall.

The following days brought dunes and, as he puts it, endless stones again: he lost places to navigation errors, after four days of digital roadbooks. He admits he still has to learn to navigate very precisely at a higher pace.

What next

For the rider, the Rallye du Maroc was another big school and his confidence is growing. His motivation is, he says, greater than ever and the first big step has been taken. The next goal: the 2027 Dakar.