"Adrenaline is highly addictve" . An interview with Xavier De Soultrait.

IPONE : For those few people who don't know you, would you please introduce yourself?

XDS : My name is Xavier De Soultrait, I'm 34 years old and I started riding motorbikes enduro style when I was young, then I switched to Rally Raid and Dakar

IPONE : What inspired you to start riding motorcycles?

XDS : Passion for motorcycling runs in the family. My father, my mother, everyone at home rides motorbikes. It started with my brothers and sisters when we were about ten years old. We used to ride this little motorbike around the house in our pyjamas, without helmet or anything. Little by little, this passion started to grow in us.

IPONE : Do you remember your first motorbike?

XDS : It was my father's TY, a trial bike. After that, I shared a Suzuki RM80 with my brother. My father, my brothers and I used to buy junk cars with no license to rebuild and sell. We also bought a few broken bikes to start with. It was the best way to get by!

IPONE : And, what do you ride now?

XDS : Currently, I ride a KTM Adventure. Also, trail motorbikes to travel, discover, and go a bit faster. (laughs)

IPONE : Personally, what does it feel like to ride a motorbike?

XDS : It’s the emotion, the sharing, the communication. They’re very important for me. Last week, at the beginning of September, I took part in a race in Türkiye. We were in a school playground and about five Turkish kids approached me. I let them get on my bike and you could see how thrilled and excited they were. They certainly didn't know much about motorcycles, especially big bikes like mine, it was a little village lost in the mountains. But you could tell by the look on their faces that the experience might ignite a passion.

And, of course, there's also that feeling of controlling a motorbike and going fast. The adrenaline, that’s something highly addictive.

IPONE : Would you share with us any recent anecdotes?

XDS : Certainly. Not so long ago in Anatolia, Türkiye, I took part in a race and we had a short break between two stages. There was a small typical house in the mountains, and I stopped to drink some tea. The owner was a very nice, 60-year-old Turkish woman. I left my helmet next to the stove at the entrance, it was 40°C outside. I didn't notice that the stove was on. She looked at me and said something but I didn't understand her. Actually, what she was saying was that something was wrong with my helmet! It was melting on the stove. (laughs) And that's what's so brilliant about the rally, too. Not the part about getting your helmet melted (laughs), but the incredible things that always happen, the chance meetings, the odd situations.

We had an encounter with the FARC in Bolivia. Once, in Morocco, a tank pointed its guns at us. In Russia, there was a bear-populated area where you were not supposed to stop, but that’s exactly where my motorcycle decided to break down (laughs). In short, I’ve experienced so many interesting moments thanks to motorcycling.

IPONE : Would you rather go solo or ride with a group?

XDS : I like riding alone and I prefer to be alone, all the time (laughs).

I'm pretty much of a loner, so one of the things that I like about riding a motorbike is that there's no talking. There’s no need for interaction. It’s like some kind of self-centred experience. I often go training alone, too. And, if there is a chance for a less travelled road, with no photographers or people, I’ll certainly take it because I take pleasure in riding like this, it's not just for the show.

IPONE : What about the Dakar Rally, is it over for you?

XDS : I’ve been participating in the Dakar Rally for almost 10 years. Two years ago, I was all out for a win. We were a final stage away from the victory and, in the last 3 days, I really gave it my all to try and get ahead. I really wanted to win, not to finish second or third, so I took every risk and hurt my spine with serious consequences.

I’m 34 years old now, I had my second daughter and participated in a Dakar Rally again this year, in January. In fact, I can't go very, very fast anymore. I can still go super-fast but not as much as it takes. So, instead of fighting for the front position, I try to finish 10th or 15th. I’m less interested in winning. I’ll keep on riding my bike just the same, but no more Dakar for me.

IPONE : Would you like to transmit your passion to your daughters?

XDS : Yes. I have two girls and I take them to nursery school by motorbike every morning. The baby travels in her carrier while the older stands on the foot bar. It's so much fun. The youngest is not a year old yet, but she tries to grab the handle to speed the bike up. Last week, I let her reach the handle just to see what would happen, and she sped it up straight away! They really notice and imitate everything you do, that's usually the case at home. (laughs).