Unforgettable memories

Dakar 2026 | Stage 12 | AL HENAKIYAH > YANBU
January 16 ^th 2026 - 18:18 [GMT + 3]

Matthieu Cauvin promised himself to take part in the Dakar and now he is just one stage away from making completing his dream.

 KTM rider number 120 dreamed of taking the finisher’s medal, which will be put around his neck in Yanbu, back home to proudly show to his two young sons. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that they would be with him for the final podium ceremony to share in their father’s joy. It was Emilie, their mother, who sprang the surprise by arriving at the finish to the penultimate stage of the rally. “I reached the finishing line and I told the guys from the organising team that I hadn’t enjoyed it all,” explains Matthieu. “Too much stress, too much pressure starting this morning… I was on edge all the way through and I couldn’t relax and enjoy it. But suddenly, my two boys came and jumped into my arms. It was wonderful, it was magical. I’d really like to thank Emilie for having organised it all”. Some children grow up watching cartoons but for Matthieu Cauvin it was images of rally-raids that punctuated his childhood: American Bajas, legendary races and especially the Dakar, which he watched each January on TV channel France 3 alongside his father, a motorbike enthusiast. At the age of 15 years, Matthieu took up motocross, in an environment where motorcycling was almost his mother tongue, all the more so given that one of his childhood friends, also born in Draguignan like Matthieu, was Gautier Paulin, a future runner-up in the MXGP championship. Another encounter also stands out: one with Antoine Méo. The five times enduro world champion pointed him towards this demanding discipline, combining commitment and endurance. When Méo tackled the Dakar, Matthieu watched and drew inspiration from it but continued to follow his own journey in the enduro ranks, building up a group of loyal friends who meet up several times per year on races such as the Trèfle Lozérien, until the day where, almost naturally, the idea popped into his head: why not aim for the Dakar as a joint project? It was initially planned for 2024 but the dream was postponed due to injuries, particularly to his knee. Two years later, he headed for Saudi Arabia with his fellow adventurers. Following an injury on the Rallye du Maroc in 2025, Matthieu only resumed training in late November but that did not prevent him from attempting to complete his first Dakar. While the penultimate stage was by no means a walk in the park, the man from the Var area of France was able to recall all the good moments he had experienced since the start of the race, using them as encouragement to not give up. “It helped me keep going and make it to the end,” he says. “I loved the sand as well as the dunes and the two marathon stages with my mates were brilliant... There have been some unforgettable moments during these two weeks. But there have also been some tougher ones. There have been days when I felt good on the bike and really enjoyed myself but others that were very tough. But hey, that's why we're here, to experience it all. I started this Dakar with five broken ribs and my only fear was triggering my airbag. That’s exactly what happened on the second day when I fell... So, the start was complicated. I also got a big bruise on my leg. But I started to have fun on the fifth day and after that I had a blast. I’ve ridden with guys who I’ve really had a great time with”. Matthieu is not thinking about coming back for a second time just yet. “If my brother wants to do it, then I’ll come with him,” admits Matthieu. “Or if the rally moves to a different country to discover something different… We’ll see”. In the meantime, the Var native plans to make the most of the time with his family by taking his two sons out for a ride on the motorbike. Perhaps as a foretaste of preparing for their own Dakar one day, why not?