Between 1998 and 2000, Laurent Pouponnot raced in the Dakar Rally. Over two decades later, his son Maxime Pouponnot hopes to do the same by taking part in the 2025 edition. To get there, he plans to use races like the Rallye du Maroc in October.
He was introduced to motorcycles from his youth, being inspired by his father who finished sixty-sixth overall among bikes in the 2000 Dakar Rally. The younger Pouponnot competed in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Enduro League Championship from 2013 to 2022 before shifting to the adjacent discipline of sand racing. Since 2022, he has focused on the French Sand Races Championship, racing a Kawasaki bike.
In February, he finished 241st of 1,300 riders at the Enduropale du Touquet, the premier race of the French championship and the first round of the inaugural FIM Sand Races World Cup.
To afford the trip to Dakar, Pouponnot launched a fundraiser on Leetchi with €80,000 set as the goal. If he wins the Road to Dakar class at the Rallye du Maroc, he can earn free registration for the 2024 or 2025 Dakar Rally.
The Rallye du Maroc will take place on 13–18 October.
