PROFILE: DIRK VON ZITZEWITZ

• Date/place of birth 14 October 1968,Eutin,Germany
• Domicile:Karlshof,Germany
• Marital status: Married to Sabine
• Current job: Rally raid co-driver, organiser of motorcycle training and tours
• Hobbies: Motorcycle riding, the desert

Sporting career highlights:

• 1983 First competitive motorcycle race
• 1987/88 1^st German Enduro Championship up to 25 cc (Honda)
• 1989 1^st German Enduro Championship up to 250 cc (KTM)
• 1990/91 1^st German Enduro Championship up to 250 cc (Suzuki)
• 1992/93 1^st German Enduro Championship up to 250 cc (KTM)
• 1994 1^st German Enduro Championship up to 500 cc (KTM)
• 1997 1^st German Enduro Championship up top 400 cc, 5^th Motorcycle Classification Dakar Rally, Rookie of the Year, best German rider
• 2001 1^st German Enduro Championship up to 125 cc (Suzuki)
• 2002 Co-driver for Mark Miller, 19^th Dakar Rally, 1^stToyota Trophy (Toyota)
• 2004 Co-driver for Mark Miller,DakarRally (Protruck Chevrolet)
• 2005 Co-driver for Robbie Gordon, 12^thDakar Rally, (Volkswagen)
• Co-driver for Mark Miller, 6^th Baja Portolegre (Volkswagen)
• 2006 Co-driver for Mark Miller, 5^thDakar Rally (Volkswagen)
• Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 2^nd Tunisian Rally, 1st Transiberico
• Rally, 1^st Moroccan Rally (Volkswagen)
• 2007 Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 11^th Dakar Rally, Baja 500 in the USA, 2^nd
• 2nd FIA Cross Country World Cup, 1^st Moroccan Rally, 3^rdUAEDesert Challenge (Volkswagen)
• 2008 Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 1^st Rally dos Sertoes
• 2009 Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 1^st Dakar Rally, 3^rd Silkway Rally (Volkswagen)
• 2010 Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 7^th Dakar Rally (Volkswagen)
• 2011 Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 2^nd place Dakar Rally (Volkswagen)
• 2012 Co-driver for Giniel de Villiers, 3^rd place Dakar Rally (Imperial Toyota Hilux)

Dirk von Zitzewitz comes from a genuine motor sport family.  His father as well as his brother Bert successfully contested motorcycle races, so it was no surprise when he received his first motorcycle for his 10^th birthday in 1978.  He competed in his first motor race at the age of 14 and had his first enduro title in his pocket five years later.

Even while he was studying architecture, motor sport continued dominating his life.  He won as many as 15 enduro championships before taking up theDakarchallenge.  He started on two wheels and in 2002 switched to four wheels as co-driver for American Mark Miller.  He joined the Volkswagen factory team in 2006 and has been navigating for South African Giniel de Villiers since 2006, going on to win the ultimate prize, Dakar 2009.

He has not completely forgotten his roots on two wheels: enduro riding continues to be part of the fitness training of the man from North Germany.  In addition, he organises motorcycle tours and training courses.  In his leisure time he enjoys taking long walks on the beaches of the nearby Baltic Sea together with his wife Sabine