A true adventure beyond the spotlight

January 1 ^st 2026 - 11:26 [GMT + 3]

26 riders make up the Original by Motul field. The director of the Dakar, David Castera, a former rider himself, showed up at 9 am to wish them a happy new year and deliver a special message: "You're in a class of your own because you go where almost no-one else dares to go, racing without support and relying on no-one but yourselves. You embody the concept of adventure in its truest sense. I would like you to know that the organisation massively respects what you do, going on an adventure beyond the spotlight." In addition to the regulars who have their sights set on the top spots of this race within a race, such as the Romanian Emanuel Gyenes (winner in 2020 and 2025), the Frenchman Benjamin Melot (twice second behind Gyenes) and the Spaniard Javi Vega (runner-up in 2023), there are ten rookies, making up over a third of the field. Seven are French, including Matthieu Jauffraud: "We're getting to know each other. We all began our selection pathways in 2023 or 2024, almost invariably as malles-moto in races such as the Rallye du Maroc, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge or the South African Safari Rally. We've all made the same new year's resolution: standing on the podium on 17 January. I'm looking forward to the start. I left home on Sunday, 28 December and the race will get going on Saturday, nearly a week later".