Original by Motul: Fewer tyres, higher stakes

January 1 ^st 2025 - 08:29 [GMT + 3]

The wheels are turning for riders competing without service crews, as the 2025 regulations are set to make their challenge even tougher.

For Original by Motul entrants, riders bold enough to tackle the Saudi desert solo, the winds of change are blowing hard at the Start Camp in Bisha. The 2025 rules impose stricter limits on the use of spare wheels, tightening the screws on an already demanding category, as well as making seasoned veterans eligible for the classification again. One of them, Benjamin Melot, a five-time Dakar veteran as a motorbike mechanic with seven entries in Original by Motul, spent last year sidelined from the standings due to his past results. Now back in contention, the Frenchman sees these changes as a welcome shake-up: "I finished second in 2020 and took third twice (2021 and 2022), but last year I couldn't chase my goal of finally winning, even if only once. The new rules put me back in the rankings and add some spice to the challenge. These days, bikes are so reliable that there's less and less maintenance to do. The limit of six sets of tyres won't be too bad, I generally used eight. The real difference is that we have to fit them ourselves and, more critically, are limited to just one set of spare rims. A 10-minute penalty will apply for each additional spare rim used, like if you break a front wheel, which is the most common issue. This will force us to manage things more carefully: on the course, to avoid trashing the rims, and in the evenings, deciding when to reuse a tyre to save fresh ones for later stages". The man from Jura has his sights set on the OBM title. Echoing previous editions, he will have to contend with rivals of the calibre of Emanuel Gyenes (2020 OBM champion), Javi Vega and Jérôme Martiny.