Rally Raid
Sam Sunderland's round-the-world attempt ends in Australia
Two-time Dakar winner Sam Sunderland set out to ride around the world in 19 days on his motorcycle, covering 18,000 miles. His race against the clock took an unexpected turn.
After crossing thousands of miles, Sam Sunderland's ambitious attempt to become the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle has ended following damage to his bike.
During the third leg of the journey, in remote outback Australia, Sunderland's motorcycle sustained damage that required repairs. Unfortunately, due to the location and the time needed to complete and test those repairs, he soon realised that the record could no longer be achieved.
"This wasn't a decision I took lightly," he said. "I'm incredibly disappointed not to be able to finish the challenge, especially for reasons outside of my control. We gave everything to this project and I'm proud of what the team achieved along the way."
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A journey across the continents
Sunderland refuels during the European leg of his challenge
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
Sunderland had departed from London on September 5. The first leg of his adventure saw him travel across mainland Europe, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria before arriving some 40 hours later in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The next step for Sunderland was riding for 19 hours through Southeast Asia. Starting in Bangkok, Thailand, he was forced to battle extreme heat and heavy downpours as he continued down to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Having successfully completed the Asian leg of his journey, Sunderland travelled to Australia where he was scheduled to ride from Perth to Sydney, covering a staggering distance of approximately 2,040 miles (3,284km). It was during this leg of the journey that his motorcycle suffered damage and he was forced to conclude the challenge.
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Sam Sunderland’s round-the-world record attempt explained
The Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer had to be with Sunderland all the way
© Mark Roe/Red Bull Content Pool
Sunderland's target was to complete a motorcycle circumnavigation of the globe in less than 19 days, challenging the benchmark of 19 days, eight hours and 25 minutes set by his compatriots Kevin and Julia Sanders in 2002.
The rules Sam Sunderland had to follow:
- Stay on the same bike
- Travel in a continuous direction
- Travel 18,000 miles
- Reach two points on opposite sides of the globe
- Start and finish in the same place
Sunderland expected to spend around 17 hours riding on some days, with the cumulative effects of sleep deprivation, jet lag and mental fatigue adding to the challenge.
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The route that Sam Sunderland was attempting
Sam Sunderland set off to see the world on his Triumph
© Greg Coleman/Red Bull Content Pool
This was the full route that Sunderland was planning to complete in 19 days:
- Leg 1: London -> Istanbul via France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria
- Leg 2: Bangkok -> Kuala Lumpur
- Leg 3: Perth -> Sydney
- Leg 4: New Zealand
- Leg 5: Vancouver -> Montreal
- Leg 6: Casablanca -> London via Spain and France
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Who is Sam Sunderland?
Sam Sunderland took a second Dakar title in 2022
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
Sunderland is one of Britain's most successful rally-raid riders. He won the Dakar Rally in 2017 and again in 2022, establishing himself as one of the leading riders of his generation before turning his attention to a new set of challenges beyond professional rally competition.