The 44th edition of the Rally was strewn with numerous technical and mechanical challenges for Mani Gyenes, but the Satmarian rider showed perseverance and spirit of a fighter, managing to overcome all obstacles and reach the finish line of Dakar 2022.

Mani participated in the Original by Motul class and was supported by family, friends and sponsors Autonet Import, Varta and the Ministry of Sports.

The Autonet Motorcycle Team rider's 12th Dakar adventure began on January 1 with the prologue and podium start in Jeddah, and continued on January 2 with the first Ha'il-Ha'il loop special stage . 213 kilometers before the finish of the special stage, he found that part of the axle holding the swingarm broke.

"The shocks were also felt by the engine that moved in the frame. When we arrived at the bivouac in the evening, three of us struggled to reposition it. It's incredible that I still did almost 7,000 kilometers like this, and of those almost 4,000 kilometers of special test. He could have given up, but I said I'm trying to finish the Dakar, so I continued. It was very important for me to get this tenth finish.”– #37 Mani Gyenes, Autonet Motorcycle Team.

Unfortunately, this was not the only technical misfortune. Both on a test in the first week and on one in the second he had problems with the petrol filter. If the first time he still managed to go, but the maximum speed did not exceed 120 km/h, in the tenth stage he had to stop and remove the filter, losing over 20 minutes. And in the ninth stage, the fuel pump from the rear tank surrendered. All this cost him precious time, and the goal was to reach the finish, given the break in the frame. He did not allow himself to force, but recovered spectacularly.

If at the end of the first stage he was in the 83rd place in the general ranking of the Moto category, halfway through the rally, after 6 of the 12 stages, he had risen to the 44th place, ending the rally in the 40th place. In addition to the technical problems, Mani also had to face days when, due to the longer time spent repairing the motorcycle, he had to sleep less and in temperatures below 10⁰C, in the tent. And on some mornings, when leaving the bivouac for the special test, the temperature felt on the motorcycle was 2-3⁰C.

After more than 8,000 kilometers in which he stopped more times than in all previous editions, Mani Gyenes successfully reached the finish in Jeddah, the tenth of his career. This year's performance: 5th place in the Original by Motul category and 40th in General Moto. His adventure began in 2007 when, aged 22, he competed in what would be the last African edition of the rally. Mani's best overall finish was in 2016, when he finished in 14th place.

In 2020, the organizers awarded the Romanian driver the 2020 Dakar Legend award, given only to competitors who have a minimum of 10 participations. He is one of the few riders to have competed on all three continents where the rally has been held to date.

Mani Gyenes has a few weeks of recovery ahead of him and then, after mid-February, he will go to Marseille to retrieve his motorcycle transported by sea by the organizers.