Under the blistering Paraguayan sun, red dust swirling like bushfire smoke, Australian Royce Dando blasted his Kove 450 Rally through deep sand, jungle trails, and wandering cattle in the 2025 Rally 2 Ruedas. Just ten months earlier he had barely ridden a motorcycle, yet in his very first rally he rode to a stunning second place in the 450cc Adventure category.
The Rally 2 Ruedas is a national off-road rally raid event for motorcycles, and light four-wheeled vehicles such as quads and UTV’s (Utility Terrain Vehicle). Held after the high-profile international WRC Rally del Paraguay, which took place in August 2025 in the Itapúa region, Rally 2 Ruedas is a domestic competition organised to build on the growing motorsport enthusiasm in Paraguay following the WRC’s debut.
Meet Royce Dando
Royce’s life could hardly be called dull. “I was born in Western Australia and grew up in the outback, right in the heart of the country. As a kid I was always on horseback, and after a spell working and living in London, I ended up owning two cattle properties in Australia at different times. I have broken in horses, flown aircraft, skydived, done plenty of diving and spearfishing, and even rode professionally in the rodeo when I was nineteen.”
In February 2025 Royce moved to Paraguay to live and invest. That is where the rally dream really took hold. “I bought a Kove 450 Rally bike to travel round the country and explore. Rey Motos, the outfit that sold me the bike, were also putting together a new rally team for Paraguay. I started training and riding with a few pro riders to learn how to properly ride.”
“I had not really ridden bikes much before other than on my properties mustering cattle. It seemed like a good way to learn how to ride. And why not do a rally then?”
Rally 2 Ruedas
Rally 2 Ruedas offers stunning scenic routes through Paraguay’s interior, and a mix of speed and technical challenges on gravel and dirt tracks. The two-day competition is held primarily in Paraguay’s Cordillera Department, central Paraguay.
Key towns and stages include Caraguatay, Tobatí, Atyrá, Caacupé, Eusebio Ayala, Piribebuy, and Altos with over 150 participants, making it one of the larger national rallies in Paraguay for 2025. This includes amateur and professional riders from across the country. The routes wind through hilly terrain, forests, and rural landscapes, showcasing Paraguay’s natural beauty with a focus on red gravel roads similar to those in the WRC event.
Royce’s experience
“I had to be up at 03:30 on Saturday morning to be at the bivouac in Eusebio Ayala at 04:30. Day one was a gruelling 280 km stage with a pit stop every 100 km, in Tobati and Atyra. The second day started at 04:30; and what followed was a 180 km stage with a single pit stop at 100 km. The terrain varied from very deep sand, rocks, fast open tracks, water crossings, and banana plantations to narrow jungle trails. There were several incidents where vehicles had gotten stuck, or broke down.”
“In one motorcycle accident, the moto completely went up in flames and carbonised, but thankfully the rider was immediately taken to a hospital by a local and is okay.”
Six hours of full on racing at 38°C
Also Royce’s race was not without hardship. “I came off on a deep sandy corner at medium pace head first into the road. I got up unassisted, dusted the sand off my gear, reattached my number to my back and continued.”
“As I then caught up to the rider in front of me, I saw him narrowly miss a cow, and crash into a bank on the side of the road. He ended up with the bike on top of him. I stopped and was able to lift the bike off of him with the help of local cattle farmers. He was okay and we continued. The temperatures reached 38°C, and both days involved approximately six hours of full on racing.”
“Comradery and the desire to help was awesome”
But Royce prevailed, and made it to the finish line in what was his first ever rally. “As my first rally, it was a great experience with a fantastic group of Paraguayans. The comradery and desire to help each other was awesome. Everyone was there to compete, but most of all to help each other.”
“The training I have done over the last three months made a huge difference to my endurance and ability. I ultimately finished second in the 450cc Adventure category. My rally was infinitely better with the help of Augusto as my engineer, race co-coordinator, and translator, and The Asunción Times as my main financial sponsor.”
“The team at Rally 2 Ruedas was fantastic, always willing to help with any queries, and I thank the Rey Motos team that tightened my vibrating handlebars for me at an assistance point. It was an epic weekend, and I will be looking forward to the next one.”
For more information, follow Rally 2 Ruedas on Instagram.
