With two Rallyes du Maroc under his belt, Charles Pick will make his Dakar Rally debut in 2026.

“It’s official,” Pick started in an Instagram Story after receiving his acceptance letter on Friday. “I will be at the start of the Dakar 2026.”

Pick is a French motocross rider and sand racer who competes in his country’s national championships. In February, he finished 412th overall at the 50th Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais, the first round of the FIM Sand Races World Championship.

He entered the World Rally-Raid Championship’s Rallye du Maroc in 2022 and 2024. In the former, he raced a KTM 350 EXC-F in the Rally3 class and finished eighth in class. Pick moved up to Rally2 for the 2024 edition, where he and his Husqvarna 450 Rally Replica placed 51st for the category with a best daily outing of 51st in Stage 5.

His rally experience also includes the 2023 Morocco Desert Challenge, where he finished 22nd in class despite a back injury.

Had his 2026 Dakar application not been immediately accepted, Pick would have returned to Morocco in October with the goal of changing the ASO’s mind. While he won’t have that added pressure on him now that he’s guaranteed a spot in the race, he still plans to race the RdM to get some extra track time ahead of Dakar.

Nomade Racing has provided support for him throughout his rally career, and that will continue to be the case for the 2025 RdM on October 10–17.

Featured image credit: Rally Zone