Jane Daniels

Jane Daniels is Britain’s most dominant female enduro rider, a back-to-back FIM Women’s Enduro World Champion who went unbeaten through the 2022 and 2023 seasons before taking on—and conquering—the legendary Dakar Rally in 2024.

EARLY YEARS

Born on 11 February 1994 in Wigan, United Kingdom, Jane Daniels grew up in nearby Standish with motorsports woven into the fabric of family life. Her father, Andy, was a road racer, and watching him compete sparked something in her early on. The family garage became her playground—she tinkered with bikes, learned how they worked, and absorbed the rhythms of race weekends. For the Daniels family, motorsports wasn’t a hobby; it was everything.

At 12 years old, still in school, she got her first taste of riding at a WOR race experience day in 2006. The bike was a Yamaha TTR125, and the feeling was instant. “I did that race and I absolutely loved it,” she’d later recall. That single day set the course for the next two decades of her life.

OTHER INTERESTS

Racing has taken Daniels to extreme locations—Italy, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Saudi Arabia—and those experiences have shaped her in ways that go beyond trophies. She credits the sport with teaching her discipline, resilience, patience, and consistency, qualities forged in grueling conditions and long stretches away from home. Beyond that, little is known about hobbies or interests outside the bike. If there’s something else she’s passionate about, she’s kept it to herself. For Jane, the bike is the thing.

EARLY SUCCESS

Her competitive career began to take shape in the British Sprint Enduro Championship, where she dominated the Women’s title with a 100% win rate. But it was in 2012, after a friend competed in the first two World Enduro races, that she decided to give the international stage a shot. She entered her first EnduroGP in Italy, came third on the first day, then got sick and couldn’t ride the second. Still, a scout from a racing team noticed her—and signed her for the following season.

The 2013 Enduro World Championship season was a statement year, even with a broken back. She’d injured herself in training before the season started, yet somehow managed four podiums from six rides, making her the UK’s second-highest performer that year. She finished second overall to the legendary Laia Sanz in 2013, 2014, and 2015, then took third in 2016 and second again in 2017 to Maria Franke. She was knocking on the door, learning, getting stronger.

In 2019, she won the FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup and took third at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE). She defended her World Cup title in 2020. And then, in 2022, everything clicked. She didn’t just win the FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship—she went unbeaten. Every race, every day. She did it again in 2023, a relentless win streak that stretched from May 2022 through the entire 2023 season. She doubled up at EnduroGP Italy in early spring 2023, took four day wins across Finland and Sweden in late May and early June, and swept both days at EnduroGP Portugal in early October, including a commanding five-second margin on day two.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2013: Four podiums from six rides in the Enduro World Championship, UK’s second-highest performer, despite breaking her back in training before the season.
• 2013, 2014, 2015: Finished second overall in the Enduro World Championship to Laia Sanz.
• 2016: Finished third overall in the Enduro World Championship.
• 2017: Finished second overall in the Enduro World Championship to Maria Franke.
• 2019: FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup Champion; third place at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE).
• 2020: FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup Champion.
• 2022: FIM Women’s Enduro World Champion with an unbeaten season.
• 2023: FIM Women’s Enduro World Champion with another unbeaten season, including double wins at EnduroGP Italy, four day wins in Finland and Sweden, and wins on both days at EnduroGP Portugal.
• 2024: Dakar Rally debut—finished 48th overall, won the Women’s class, top British finisher, and only woman to complete the race. Received the Dakar Spirit/DARE award for towing teammate Jeremy Miroir 60km and then 95km, and for continuing 200km after a crash with bent handlebars and damaged navigation equipment.

INSPIRATIONS

Her father, Andy, was the original spark—his road racing career showed her what was possible, and the family garage gave her the tools to chase it. As her career progressed, she looked to Laia Sanz, the multiple-time enduro world champion, as a benchmark. Sanz had set the standard for women in the sport, and Daniels spent years chasing her before finally surpassing her. The path was laid; she just had to ride it.

REPUTATION

In the paddock, she’s known as “Unbeatable Jane,” a nickname earned through sheer dominance. Matilde Tomagnini, Fantic Racing’s Development Manager, called her gamble on Daniels one that paid off, noting that “she has demonstrated that she is a very tough rider.” The WOR series, where she got her start, considers her its most successful graduate. In the UK, she’s regarded as the country’s number one female enduro rider—a rising star who became a champion and then kept rising.

Her 2024 Dakar debut cemented her reputation beyond enduro. She wasn’t just the only woman to finish; she was the top British rider, a rookie who showed veteran-level racecraft and grit. The moment that defined her Rally wasn’t a stage win—it was towing her teammate Jeremy Miroir first 60km, then another 95km, embodying the spirit of the race in a way that earned her the DARE award. After crashing and bending her handlebars and navigation equipment, she continued another 200km to the finish. Tough doesn’t begin to cover it.

Daniels has spent 11 consecutive seasons competing at the World Enduro level, and her consistency—discipline, resilience, patience—has been noted by everyone who’s watched her career unfold. She’s not flashy. She doesn’t need to be. She just wins.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

After finishing her maiden Dakar, exhausted but triumphant, Daniels made her intentions clear: “The Dakar is amazing, we will see each other again.” She remains with Fantic Racing, but specifics about her 2025 schedule and beyond haven’t been publicly outlined. Given her track record, it’s safe to assume she’s not done collecting trophies—or proving herself on the world’s toughest stages.

References:

ACU Official Announcement – Dakar 2024
Wigan Council Feature – Spring 2024
FIM Awards Profile
RustSports Interview and Profile
DirtHub Dakar 2024 Race Report
Convex Podcast Interview Summary
FIM ISDE Official Profile