Nikolaev made his Dakar debut in 2006 as a mechanic aboard the truck of Kamaz driver Sergey Reshetnikov, finishing eighteenth overall. In 2007 he moved into the co-driver role alongside Ilgizar Mardeev, with Aydar Belyaev completing the crew; they finished second, three hours behind the winner Hans Stacey.
For the 2009 Dakar, Nikolaev joined the crew of multiple Dakar champion Vladimir Chagin, with Sergey Savostin as the third crew member. They contributed four stage victories and finished second overall, losing by less than four minutes to Firdaus Kabirov. In 2010 Nikolaev remained with Chagin and Savostin. The crew won nine of fourteen stages — a Dakar record at the time. Nikolaev also competed as a driver that year, winning the Silk Way Rally.
Nikolaev made his Dakar driving debut in 2011, finishing third overall despite being more than three hours behind the winner. With Chagin and Kabirov retired from Dakar competition heading into 2012, Nikolaev was effectively the Kamaz team leader. However, he was disqualified during the 2012 event after his truck collided with a competitor in the car class on the fourth stage.
Nikolaev's first Dakar win as a driver came in 2013. He did not win a single stage during that edition, but consistent running and delays suffered by his main rival, defending champion Gerard de Rooy, allowed him to prevail. Nikolaev won the overall classification by 37 minutes ahead of Kamaz teammates Ayrat Mardeev and Andrey Karginov. He also won the Russian Championship in 2013.
In 2014, Nikolaev finished third with one stage win. In 2015, he was the runner-up with six stage victories. In 2016, he finished seventh with three stage wins. He returned to the top step in 2017, winning four stages, and retained the title in 2018 with three stage victories and again in 2019 with a further three stage wins — three consecutive Dakar truck titles. The 2020 Dakar resulted in retirement due to mechanical failure on the transition from stage five to stage six, a problem severe enough that the crew could not complete repairs.
In 2022, Nikolaev finished second with four stage wins. In January 2025, he participated in the Russian Race of Champions on ice, reaching the quarterfinals.
Russian state and regional authorities recognised Nikolaev's results with multiple honours. These included a Medal for Valorous Labour in 2006, the Order of the Motherland Second Degree in 2007, the Order of Friendship in 2010, certificates of honour from the Republic of Tatarstan and the President of Russia in 2014, and the title of Merited Transport Worker of Tatarstan in 2011. He received further recognition from Tatarstan's President in 2015 and 2017.
Eduard Nikolaev's four Dakar truck victories place him among the most decorated drivers in the event's truck category. His progression from mechanic to co-driver to driver, and ultimately to team head at Kamaz-Master, traces the full arc of a career built within one of the Dakar's most dominant programmes.
Gallery · 4 related images
