Vincent Biau‘s Dakar Rally début in January was a struggle unlike any other he had faced in his career, having had to run the entire race with a a slate of injuries and without assistance from a crew. Despite the odds, he managed to reach the finish, though he doesn’t plan on repeating it in 2025 as he has other plans on his list.
Biau was accepted for the 2024 Dakar Rally after being the highest finishing Malle Moto competitor at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, where he was tenth overall in Rally2.
The Dakar started on a sour note when he missed a waypoint in the Prologue, though it paled greatly compared to an especially difficult Stage #1. He dislocated his shoulder and broke his ankle after getting thrown off his bike into a rut shortly after refuelling, then crashed into rocks at the 200-kilometre mark. Another crash the following stage resulted in a broken rib. With so many injuries racking up and having to work on his bike alone as a Malle Moto (Original by Motul) rider, he opted to ride conservatively the rest of the rally. By the end, he finished fifty-eighth in Rally2 and fifteenth in Original by Motul.
“A few days ago, the route for the 2025 Dakar Rally was unveiled. Many of you have asked me if I’m going back to finish on a better note,” wrote Biau on Wednesday. “As a reminder for those who don’t know, on the first day, I had a fall: fractured my malleolus, broke a rib, and had a shoulder subluxation… and I still finished.
“To answer your question: no, unfortunately, I will not be at the start of the next edition, but don’t worry, another big project is in the works!!! Stay tuned!!!”
A longtime adventure motorcyclist who has been doing rally raids since 2012, Biau previously worked as a Dakar volunteer in 2020. He also works as an instructor for BMW Motorrad and co-founded off-road programme Petokask alongside fellow rally raider Steff Rowe.
The 2025 Dakar Rally begins 3 January.
