Yann Cadoret, who competed in the world’s most iconic off-road races from Baja to Dakar, has passed away. Motoverte.com reported his death on Thursday.

Cadoret began his career as an enduro rider, receiving factory support from manufacturers like Sachs, KTM, and Fantic. He won the French National Championship in the 125cc and Junior classes in 1977, followed by the 1979 and 1980 France Intermediate 125cc titles.

In 1979, he represented France alongside Joël Queirel, Philippe Ramade, Nicolas Samofal, and Marc Simonol as they finished 14th in the International Six Days Trial. Later that year, he and inaugural Paris–Dakar Rally bike winner Cyril Neveu finished third among 251cc motorcycles at the Baja 1000; the two rode a Husqvarna, recording a time of 29:50:10 that ranked seventh overall.

What would be his only Dakar on two wheels came in 1981. He retired with a mechanical failure on his KTM 495 in Stage #9. However, his life took a turn soon after when his Dodge crashed into a tree in La Trinité-sur-Mer while returning from the Fantic factory in Italy, resulting in paralysis from the waist down.

Despite his injury, he returned to racing soon after. Cadoret made his Dakar return in 1985 behind the wheel of a Mercedes 280GE, though he failed to finish that. His best finish was a 34th in the 1987 race, then came an 88th a year later.

In the 1990s, he competed in offshore powerboat racing as the driver of a 25-foot Skater catamaran nicknamed “Flying Oyster”.