After completing the Africa Eco Race and Rallye du Maroc solo, Antoine Detourbet will compete in the 2026 Dakar Rally in the Original by Motul class. He broke the news to Le Journal de la Haute-Marne on Wednesday, after receiving his acceptance letter from the ASO on Friday.

Detourbet is mechanical engineer and motocross rider from southern Haute-Marne who started racing when he was 11. Three years of injuries and disapproval from his parents forced him to stop, after which he went into triathlon while riding was mostly limited to doing so recreationally; he even planned to do the Embrunman in 2020 before it was called off due to COVID. Still, his love for racing persisted and he picked up motocross again, though his heart was set on rally raid.

“I always watched the Dakar on TV when I was a kid,” Detourbet told JHM. “My wife and I went on a trip to Namibia. We did a 4×4 tour in the dunes and it really made me want to take part in a race. That started it all.”

After doing amateur rallies like the Tuareg Rallye in Morocco when his budget permitted, he entered the 2024 Africa Eco Race as a Motul Xtreme Rider where he placed 15th overall and tenth for 450cc bikes.

In October 2024, Detourbet made his W2RC debut at the Rallye du Maroc with the goal of qualifying for the 2026 Dakar Rally. After a slow start because he got lost, he finished 61st in Rally2 with a best daily outing of 52nd in Stage 4.

“I knew I wanted to do the Dakar but it took me three years,” he remarked.

He plans to race Dakar on a KTM 450 Rally Replica.

Featured image credit: Actiongraphers