Written by Staff Writer
Ons Jabeur on the flight over to Austria earlier this week — typical pro rider, doing what she does best, staying focused in the back of the plane despite plenty of mosquitoes biting her.
Born in Djibouti, Jabeur started to ride motorcycles at age 15. A year later, at the age of 16, she was invited to participate in the Belgian Black Riders Superbike event and finished in the top five. By the age of 17, she was a national champion in Belgium, winning seven titles.
E-Mountain of Duesseldorf’s Rapha Marketing decided to take the unassuming little Moroccan racing sensation by the hand and make her a full-time professional.
With her airy electric blue helmet on backwards, Jabeur was poised to race on the back of his jeep. The driver is asked to keep his attention on her for an hour, as she races under the fastest RPM on the road.
She has won titles in the British, French, Spanish and German national events. In 2015, Jabeur traveled to China to participate in the Beijing Superbike race. There, she was named Road Tractor Athlete of the Year for her effort on the track.
Jabeur: “I was so excited… I’ve always wanted to do China. China is the capital of motorcycles. I would never forget that, to win the race in front of the big crowd. It’s a dream come true.”