Mathieu Dovèze will miss time after undergoing a successful surgery on his shoulder, treating an injury which he said had been nagging him for the past two to three years.

Dovèze had aggravated the injury after falling on it in a crash at the 2024 Rallye du Maroc, but pressed on for January’s Dakar Rally. His race was upended by a mechanical issue in Stage #3, but he continued on afterward and won the ninth and 11th stages. He was classified 76th in Rally2.

“I gritted my teeth and at the Dakar,” said Dovèze. “I lacked strength, and it was quite restrictive.”

He ran the Enduropale du Touquet in early February to be “really sure that surgery was necessary. In agreement with the doctor, we decided to go ahead with the operation this week.

“They put a plate in me and took a ligament from my knee to graft it into my shoulder. It was really important to get it treated quickly because this shoulder has been bothering me for two or three years now, especially with all the falls I’ve had on it.

“Now, I’ll have a month with a splint, then I’ll start rehab and be ready to go again.”

Featured image credit: Charly Lopez / ASO