Catalan chef Nandu Jubany, awarded a Michelin star, is gearing up for his third Dakar Rally in the T2 category with a buggy and co-driver Marc Solà. After finishing second last year, he anticipates more challenges in 2026 in Saudi Arabia. Jubany balances his passion for motorcycles with his kitchen career, driven by his father.
Nandu Jubany, born in 1971 in Monistrol de Calders (Barcelona), is renowned for his restaurant Can Jubany, which holds a Michelin star. Eight years ago, he temporarily left the stoves to debut in the Dakar Rally on a motorcycle, a youthful passion he had pursued in motocross and enduro at low intensity. Last year, he competed in the T2 category with a buggy alongside Marc Solà, securing second place in his class and being the second-best ranked Spaniard overall, with only two punctures and one tough day.
"I think this year we'll have some more problems, because it's not normal to do a nearly clean Dakar like we did last year. We only punctured two tires and had one day turn into night. In the end, we missed it by ten," Jubany confesses. His initial dream was to be a motocross pilot, but "my father was very practical and put me in the kitchen." As a kid in the 1980s, he followed the Dakar on TV, dreaming of participating.
Now, on his third attempt, he notes changes in the event: it has become more of a speed race than an adventure and endurance test. "Now, it's unthinkable for a guy who wins only two days to take the victory. They have to win every day," he explains, regretting the reduced safety compared to the past and the loss of camaraderie. On a motorcycle, the experience was tougher due to solitude: "You're alone, you navigate alone, if you have a problem you solve it yourself."
Jubany does not plan to compete indefinitely with this buggy, but considers future challenges like driving a truck in two or three years: "If I found a good truck to race, I'd fancy the experience of learning to do it and finishing the rally with a fast truck."
