Join us Nani Roma
2002 - 2011
Joan "Nani" Roma
Warrior in the desert
He started his career in enduro competitions. His boldness and his physique have made him the ideal candidate for the Dakar Rally, which he won in the motorcycle category in 2004 after an epic battle in the desert.
In 2005 he would go on to compete in the car category, taking third place in 2006 with Team Repsol, along with other good performances in the Baja Aragon Rally and the Transiberico Rally.
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1 2004 Dakar
on a bike with Repsol
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1st Spanish
to win a Dakar
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2 Wins
Baja Aragon Rally with Repsol
Keeping your feet on the ground
When you make it onto the podium in a matter of seconds, like what happened to me in 2006, it is easy to see yourself as the potential winner the next year. However, you have to keep your feet on the ground: success never comes overnight
Nani Roma 2007
Strengths
Without a doubt, my strength is the experience that my years of riding motorcycles have given me. Experience and knowledge of the terrain that other riders don’t have. On the other hand, my weakness is the lack of kilometres in the car and competing with people who have many years of experience behind the wheel
Nani Roma 2006
His passion
When you do a job that you love and you see yourself progressing, everything is much easier
Nani Roma 2006
Sand in his veins
He achieved his first successes in competition in the 1991 Spanish Junior Enduro Championship in the 125cc class, and he won his first title in 1994: the European Senior Championship. Roma established himself as one the most notable drivers in the field before moving onto the African trials in 1996. He participated in his first Dakar Rally and, despite him not having experience with such a strange race, he won two stages, which was quite a feat considering the drivers he was competing against
In 2000, his domination at Dakar slipped from his hands when his motorcycle’s motor broke two stages into the final, and he spent the entire night in the desert waiting for the service vehicle. His goal was to reach Dakar by any means, which he couldn’t do in his first years. Several falls and accidents prevented Nani Roma from achieving his goal. These misfortunes were broadcast almost live on television and were seen all over the world, which gave his career a certain epic dimension and gave him the reputation of a desert warrior. In 2002, he participated with Repsol, along with two renowned drivers, Marc Coma and Isidre Esteve. Dakar was his in 2004, and he was the first Spanish winner in the history of the race.
Although he had already been thinking of switching to driving cars, it was a knee injury which led him to try driving Rally cars for training and he soon realised that he had potential in the sport. He began competing in cars in Dakar in 2005, also with Repsol, where he took sixth place in the car category while driving a Mitsubishi Montero Evo MPR11, the best car in the field and winner of all the previous consecutive editions of Dakar since 2000. He got his best finish in this category in 2006 when he came in third in the classification. He kept participating in different trials and rallies with Repsol until 2011, and in 2014 he gained the longed-for victory in the Dakar Rally in the car category. Joan “Nani” Roma continues competing in this sport, now that he has sand in his veins.
2004 Dakar
Dakar 2007
Lucas Cruz Senra amd Joan "Nani" Roma
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Giorgio Pantano