The Spanish rider and founder of the Touareg Adventure Club returns to the saddle for a new off-road adventure in the Moroccan desert
On paper, his name is Manuel García Vitoria but for motorsport fans, he’s simply “Murchi”. A seasoned rally rider and the heart and soul behind the Touareg Adventure Club, Manuel is gearing up for the 2025 edition of FenekRally, scheduled from November 15 to 23 in Morocco. With over two decades of rally raid experience and a lifetime spent navigating dunes and roadbooks, the 60-year-old rider from Calahorra, in Spain’s La Rioja region, is ready to tackle this new challenge with his trademark enthusiasm and grit. Here’s what he told us.
Hi Manuel, and welcome to the FenekRally! How did your passion for motorsports begin? “Since I was a kid. I got on a motorcycle for the first time at 13. It was a passion I’d always had inside me. I started with amateur enduro, but I was far from talented in the beginning: I pushed the bike more than I rode it, while others laughed. But I have a special memory. During a race, a veteran rider started calling me “Murchiano”, referring to my father’s origins in Murcia. That nickname stuck, and eventually became just “Murchi”. And I still wear it with pride” Manuel recalls.
What was the turning point in your racing career? “In 2002, I joined my first Baja España Aragón with a group of friends. There were 15 of us, but only two made it to the finish line. That moment changed everything: I quit smoking, started training seriously, and signed up for a trip to Morocco with Jordi Arcarons. That’s where I discovered navigation, the roadbook, and the magic of the desert. Since then, rallying has become part of my life.”
Murchi’s track record includes hundreds of national and international races, including three Dakars, 23 editions of the Baja España Aragón, the Merzouga Rally, Rally du Maroc, Pharaons Rally, Tunisia Rally, Hellas Rally, and many other African events.
From rider to mentor: the birth of the Touareg Adventure Club “In 2010, I asked myself a simple question: why shouldn’t an amateur have the same opportunities as a professional? The next year, I founded the Touareg Adventure Club, a project for anyone who dreams of rally raid but doesn’t know where to start. Today we have more than 800 members worldwide and over 150 active riders in our events. We provide training, support, and race assistance. If you’ve got a dream, we’ll help turn it into a road…or better yet, an off-road adventure!”
Out of all the events, why did you choose FenekRally? “I’ve been curious about it for a while, since the days it was held in Tunisia. Last year, I wanted to take part, but we were fully committed with our team at the Rally du Maroc. This year, we’re finally in. I like this rally because it strikes a great balance: it’s smaller in scale but highly organized, with a strong focus on safety, which is a top priority for us. We reviewed all the autumn events and decided to go with the FenekRally, organized by Lluis Rosa. It’s a bet, but we’re confident it will pay off.”
How are you preparing for the race? “No special training, not at my age!” -“Murchi” laughs- My goal is to have fun and enjoy the roadbooks prepared by Lluis and his team. Morocco is our second home. We’ve been coming here for over 20 years and are well-known throughout the country. It’s also our second biggest social media market after Spain. For FenekRally, we’ve launched our Fly & Ride formula: 15 fully-equipped KTM rally bikes ready for riders coming from afar. The bikes meet FIM regulations, feature quality suspension, navigation towers, and digital roadbooks. This way, anyone, from anywhere in the world, can join us and experience this incredible adventure”.
Alongside “Murchi” and the Touareg Adventure Club, the 2025 FenekRally will also feature a rookie rider from La Rioja (making his African debut ahead of Dakar 2027), a South African, an Australian and Chilean rider Tomás De Gavardo, who is preparing for Dakar 2026.
