It is here, in Cézallier, between Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme, that Jérémy Miroir trains most of the time. No sand or dunes on the horizon, but a vast terrain with varied profiles (bumps, forests, roots, technical turns, rolling areas, etc.). “It’s difficult to find better around here. But to prepare for the desert, I still sometimes go and train on the beaches of the southwest or southeast of France,” says the pilot. 30 years old, shortly before getting into his car for his training session of the day.
On the program for this sunny and frosty afternoon in December: a long split of at least three times 30 minutes. The opportunity to quietly perfect your preparation, while the objective of your season is fast approaching. This Friday, Jérémy Miroir will actually take the start of the 47th Dakar Rally (from January 3 to 17), in Saudi Arabia. “It's the most legendary rally-raid race, assures the Brivadois, without any hesitation. It has made me dream since I got on a motorcycle. And I was not disappointed last year between its difficulty and the magnificent landscapes.”
An almost completed 2024 edition
For his very first participation, Jérémy Miroir finished in 31st place in the general classification (19th in his rally 2 category). Only two other beginners had done better than him, a sign of his remarkable performance. However, this great first almost turned into a disaster. During the 8th stage (out of 12), between Al-Duwadmi and Haïl, while he is comfortably installed among the first 30 in the general classification, Jérémy Miroir can no longer advance. No matter what he does, his engine won't start. In the terrible Saudi desert, such a problem can be very costly, ranging from the loss of several dozen places in the ranking to outright abandonment.
Luckily, the Brivadois pilot could quickly count on the support of his British teammate, Jane Daniels. “Without her, I would never have been able to finish on time,” he admits. “As there were no dunes, she was able to tow me without too much problem.” The duo joined Haïl more than 2 hours 30 minutes behind the leaders. Jérémy Miroir can then say goodbye to his hopes of reaching the top of the rankings. But, upon reaching the finish, the essential was able to be saved: he is still in the race. The Brivadois will remain so until the arrival, four days later.
Do better than last year
Building on this experience deemed successful, it will be a little more ambitious this year. “In 2024, as it was my first, my main objective was to reach the finish. It was important for my team that the three drivers complete the 12 stages, explains the man who drives a 450 Fantic. For this second participation, it will still be the same collective objective But individually, I think I can aim a little higher and get closer to the top 20.
If Jérémy Miroir is vague about his intentions, it is simply because of the difficulty of the Dakar Rally, unlike any other race. He learned it the hard way last year, and even the most experienced pilots are not immune to a problem.
We're talking about two weeks of racing with more than 700 km in the desert every day. It's hot, sometimes cold, it can snow, it can rain, it's really a hell of a race.
It is therefore difficult to prepare for it. To avoid regrets and give himself the right to dream, he still wanted to do things well, in the company of his team. Two months ago, he took part in the Morocco Rally, another round of the world championship. In difficult conditions and facing some of the future favorites of the Dakar Rally like Ross Branch (2nd in 2024) and Adrien Van Beveren (3rd in 2024), Jérémy Miroir ranked 19th (11th in rally 2) at the end of the five steps. “I really managed to enjoy myself at the end of the race,” he says. “I even finished ahead of the winner (Australian Daniel Sanders, editor’s note) on the last stage.”
Before that, during the summer, the Brivadois rider had also reconnected with his first love: enduro. “I stopped because there isn’t enough money in this industry, but it’s always nice to do it again,” says Jérémy Miroir, who doesn’t seem to have lost his touch. It actually entered the top ten of the country's greatest French classics, namely the Grappe de Cyrano (7th), the Rand'Auvergne (4th), the Trèfle Lozérien (8th) and even the Aveyronnaise (4th). “All these races were also an opportunity to promote my team and allow it to develop its bikes,” explains Jérémy Miroir, before concluding: “For the moment, it does not have the level to make top 5 in the Rally Dakar, but who knows in the future?
Timothé Soulié
The stages of the 2025 Dakar Rally
Prologue (January 3). Month – Month. 50 km of liaison and 29 km of special.
1st stage (January 4). Month – Month. 86 km of liaison and 413 km of special.
2nd stage (January 5-6). Month – Month. 45 km of liaison and 947 km of special.
3rd stage (January 7). Bisha – Al Henakiyah. 352 km of liaison and 495 km of special.
4th stage (January 8). Al Henakiyah – Alula. 173 km of liaison and 415 km of special.
5th stage (January 9). Alula – Hail. 64 km of liaison and 428 km of special.
Rest (January 10). Hail.
6th stage (January 11). Hail – Al Duwadimi. 224 km of liaison and 604 km of special.
7th stage (January 12). Al Duwadimi – Al Duwadimi. 264 km of liaison and 455 km of special.
8th stage (January 13). Al Duwadimi – Riyadh. 250 km of liaison and 483 km of special.
9th stage (January 14). Riyadh – Harrah. 232 km of liaison and 357 km of special.
10th stage (January 15). Haradh – Shubaytah. 520 km of liaison and 115 km of special.
11th stage (January 16). Shubaytah – Shubaytah. 232 km of liaison and 307 km of special.
12th stage (January 17). Shubaytah – Shubaytah. 70 km of liaison and 61 km of special.
Over two weeks, the drivers will cover around 8,000 kilometers, including more than 5,000 on special stages in the Saudi desert.
