YAMAHA

After a run of bad luck in the 2020 and 2021 editions, Alexandre Giroud has finally added the Dakar to his impressive list of achievements, 25 years after his father, Daniel, was the first rider to finish the Dakar on a quad. But Giroud didn't stop there. Building on this performance, he also won the Morocco and Andalusia Rallies to claim the quad rally-raid world champion title, despite his absence from the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the efforts and consistency of his Slovakian rival Juraj Varga. Giroud went into the 2023 edition full of confidence to become only the second rider to win the most prestigious quad rally in two successive years. He injured his shoulder during the rally and had to undergo surgery and rest for several months. As a result, he missed most of the W2RC rounds. He returned for the Morocco Rally and won. The Frenchman has lost none of his superbness; quite the contrary, he is ready and sharp. Even if his rivals are determined to beat him, the Frenchman will aim for a Dakar three-peat, as his compatriot Stéphane Peterhansel did on two wheels.