Andre Villas-Boas managed Chelsea in 2011-12 and Tottenham in 2012-13
Former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed his intention to compete in the Dakar Rally next year after leaving his position as manager of Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.
The 40-year-old, whose uncle took part in 1982 Dakar Rally, will drive a Toyota Hilux in the car category.
Villas-Boas had initially wanted to contest the race on a motorbike but was advised against it because of the additional preparation time needed.
The event starts in Peru on 6 January.
“I spoke with my friend Alex Doringer, the manager of the KTM team, who told me that I would still need a full year’s preparation to get there and that it was better to consider doing it with a car,” said Villas-Boas, who owns several motorbikes.
“So I got in touch with Team Overdrive and here I am.”
After starting in Peru, the 6,000-mile Dakar Rally will travel through Bolivia before finishing in Argentina on 20 January
Villas-Boas is a motorsport enthusiast who has attended a number of Formula 1 races.
He spoke in 2011, when he was manager of Chelsea, about his passion for motorbikes and that he would often escape the rigours of Premier League football by going off-road riding in the Portuguese mountains.
“The passion for two wheels is something that grew in me,” Villas-Boas said at the time.
“My first bike was a Yamaha XT 350cc, a heavy engine at the start. Then I’ve had Hondas and KTMs, as well as the trials bikes I’ve got.
“I have a bit of a crazy head, so I like enduro-bikes – I go into the mountains with the big rocks and almost kill myself!”
Source: bbc.com
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