Sports
Sertões: Rally Ops and Expansion with CEO Leonora Guedes
Leading the rally, mountain biking, and kitesurfing events, the executive details military-grade logistics, social impact, and business models.
In an interview on the Stemma Podcast, Sertões CEO Leonora Guedes breaks down the inner workings of the largest rally in the Americas. She discusses the brand's expansion into mountain biking and kitesurfing, high-stakes medical logistics, and the social legacy left across remote Brazilian communities.
With more than three decades of history, Sertões has established itself as the largest rally in the Americas and one of the most complex roving sporting operations in the world. Today, however, the brand reaches far beyond combustion engines: it hosts established mountain biking and kitesurfing competitions while positioning itself as a platform for content, tourism, and social change. In an interview on the Stemma Podcast, company CEO and partner Leonora Guedes explained the machinery required to move more than 2,500 people through the Brazilian backcountry during every edition.
Holding a background in tourism and having worked at the Goiás State Department of Tourism, Leonora entered the rally world when Goiânia became the traditional starting point of the race. Working alongside figures such as Marcos Ermírio de Moraes in the past and, more recently, Júlio Capua and other partners, she took on executive leadership of the business, standing as the only woman on the organization's executive board.
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From Origins to Military-Grade Logistics
Created in 1993 by Dionízio Malheiros as a motorcycle adventure between Campos do Jordão and the Northeast, the event evolved under the inspiration of the Dakar Rally. Currently featuring eight timed stages, the starting grid brings together four categories: motorcycles, quads, cars, and UTVs—with the latter experiencing explosive growth and nearly one hundred vehicles lining up. Trucks were phased out due to environmental considerations and the narrow profile of Brazilian trails.
The race routine demands a logistical rigor comparable to military missions. Because competition takes place strictly during daylight hours to allow the operation of two medical rescue helicopters—positioned at most ten minutes away from any point along the route—the start window must run with surgical precision. Technical crews position around 60 pickup trucks with paramedics along the special stages, while Starlink antennas and repeater aircraft guarantee constant communication across completely isolated regions.
Dust with Purpose: Healthcare and Environmental Legacy
Traversing small municipalities such as Mateiros (Tocantins) and Xique-Xique (Bahia) brought the organization a responsibility to leave a lasting footprint. Under the motto "dust with purpose," Sertões works in partnership with the SAS Brasil project (Health and Joy in the Sertões), deploying mobile medical trailers and volunteer specialists to eliminate waiting lists for public healthcare in host cities.
Social initiatives include vision screening and glasses donations for public school children, alongside distributing water filters to communities lacking basic sanitation. On the environmental front, the organization offsets carbon emissions generated by racing engines, re-refines used motor oil, and manages waste alongside local recycling cooperatives throughout the entire itinerary.
Accessing Deep Brazil Through Adventure Expeditions
With 80% to 85% of Brazilian roads still unpaved, Sertões transformed the route itself into a travel product. Twelve official tour operators accredited by the organization run expeditions following the caravan in 4x4s or motorcycles, allowing families and off-road enthusiasts of all ages to experience national parks, canyons, and caves without the pressure of the stopwatch.
"The expedition is our grandstand. Participants gain access to remote locations backed by the rally's full safety infrastructure, choosing between a rugged camping experience or staying in the region's finest boutique inns," Leonora highlighted.
Expanding into Mountain Biking and Kitesurfing
During the pandemic, Sertões sought to diversify its portfolio by exploring outdoor disciplines aligned with its adventure identity. The cycling division gave rise to Sertões MTB, contested in three-day stage-race formats across technical terrain in Minas Gerais, such as Ibitipoca and Nova Lima. The event gained international prominence by hosting large grids of e-mountain bikes (pedal-assist electric bikes), drawing top-tier amateur competitors.
On the ocean, the brand established the world's only point-to-point kitesurfing rally: the Sertões Kitesurf. The race covers around 400 km of downwind sailing along the coast of Ceará and neighboring states across four stages. The maritime infrastructure relies on support jet-skis, dedicated rescue sailors, and 4x4 land support, welcoming elite professional athletes—such as Olympic sailor Bruno Lobo—as well as amateur riders in the adventure category.
Managing the Unexpected and Focusing on Content
Managing competitions across multiple states requires real-time problem solving. Leonora recalled a critical moment in 2021 when the batch of printed navigation route sheets (roadbooks) for a stage in Paraíba went missing just before the start. On a Sunday morning, the crew mobilized a local university print shop to print hundreds of color pages, delayed the start by only an hour, and salvaged the day's racing.
For the executive, consolidating these three verticals—rally, mountain biking, and kitesurfing—cements Sertões' standing not merely as an event organizer, but as a sports content powerhouse showcasing Brazil's hospitality, landscapes, and human stories.
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