Britain's Jamie McCanney will male his Dakar debut when the 2020 race kicks off in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

McCanney joins the Monster Yamaha Rally Team as the squad’s fourth member. A vastly experienced enduro rider who has enjoyed notable success with Yamaha in recent seasons, McCanney will offer assistance to his teammates while focusing on experiencing and learning during the coming two weeks of competition.

Starting on Sunday, the 2020 Dakar Rally will begin a new chapter in the event’s much-celebrated history. From North Africa to South America, the world’s most demanding multi-day off-road motorcycle event arrives in Saudi Arabia. Four times the land area of France, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and boasts terrain that will undoubtedly challenge all competitors.

Twelve competitive stages and close to 8,000 kilometres of riding, with just one rest day, will push riders and their machinery to their limits. No less than 75 per cent of the overall event will be ridden in sand, with five days featuring special stages of more than 450 kilometres in length.

"Being back in the desert and back on my rally bike is a great feeling. I’ve been working towards Dakar 2020 for such a long time, the fact that the start is now just around the corner is a little surreal. But I’m really looking forward to it," said McCanney.

"I know I have a huge amount to learn, so I’m being very realistic with my expectations – I’m here to learn, support the team and enjoy and experience Dakar.

"The spirit within the team is amazing – I feel so welcomed and the other riders have been doing all they can to help me. Everyone knows that the next two weeks are going to be challenging, and we’ve already learned that the sand is super soft here.

"But I’m just focused on trying to keep mistakes to a minimum and gaining experience. I can’t wait to get started now."