Vincent Biau’s Africa Eco Race debut has had him in bed more than on track. Since Tuesday, he’s been sidelined by a virus that, as he put it, has effective left him “KO’d”.

“It’s been two days since I caught a virus: fever, vomiting, can’t eat at all, barely able stand; in short, completely ‘KO’,” wrote Biau in an Instagram Story. “I spend my days sleeping in a 4×4 from bivouac to bivouac.

“Hoping to recover as soon as possible to get back on the bike.”

He had finished 57th overall in Stage #1 on Tuesday, 13th for multi-cylinder motorcycles between 650cc and 1000cc, and 17th for Motul Xtreme Riders (those riding without the help of crews). After contracting the illness, he has been unable to take part and since.

Biau opted to enter the AER instead of the concurrent Dakar Rally. He had made his Dakar debut in 2024, battling a broken ankle and ribs to a 15th in Malle Moto and 58th in Rally2.

The AER became an attractive option since it allows him to use more powerful bikes than the FIM-regulated 450cc. Thus, he entered the race with his Suzuki V-Strom 800DE, a 776cc adventure bike that he acquired over the spring. He first brought the bike to the Hellas Rally Raid in Greece, finishing 44th overall and seventh among two-cylinder bikes.

Should he be able to recover in time, he will obviously be out of the picture for the win but simply reaching Dakar would be a success.

Featured image credit: LSportphoto