• Home Base

  Cuneo, Italy

• Equipment of Choice

  KTM 500 XCF

• Motto

  "When I'm on a motorcycle, I forget I can't use my legs. The bike broke me, but saved me."

The first instinct of the biker when he falls is to get up. Nicola Dutto, a professional motorcycle racer, has made this impulse the metaphor of his life inside and outside the race track. On 20th March 2010, Nicola didn’t see an obstacle during a competition and, at 150 km/h, fell off the bike. Getting up that day was not as easy as ever. Due to trauma, the spinal cord had torn, causing him to lose the use of his legs permanently.

It took ten hours of surgery and four transfusions, followed by ten long months to start over in a whole new world. Once the trauma was over, Nicola understood that two wheels were nothing more than the fresh legs with which he could run again and rediscover the sense of freedom.

“I have never hated the bike or denied what I did. I consider myself a lucky guy because I was able to turn a passion into a profession, with all the risks of the trade. When I’m in the saddle, I forget I can’t use my legs. The bike broke me, but it saved me.” In 2012, Nicola returned to racing the Baja Aragon in Spain, becoming the first paraplegic driver to compete with the others in a World Desert Race. In 2019, he became the first paraplegic driver in the history of the Dakar.

Nicola rides a KTM with a unique carbon frame specifically designed to protect his legs and support his torso. At the same time, the gear and rear brake controls were installed on the handlebars. Nicola is a handbike fan and uses it to keep fit between races. He enjoys using a Sena helmet even on the bike!