He has won the motorcycle race 5 times. But this year, Cyril Despres is trying his biggest challenge. Find out all the details in the latest episode of our Beyond the Ordinary podcast.
For two decades, when the end of the year arrives, Cyril Despres has only thought about the start of the Dakar rally. The most trying car race on the planet takes place during the first weeks of January and the Frenchman has built his life around this event.
In 2022, Despres does not intend to fight only for a new podium. The multiple winner of the event is playing the future of his sport. The Frenchman takes the start in Saudi Arabia as a member of the ambitious Gen Z project. The ultimate goal of this team is to win the rally with a 100% hydrogen vehicle. “We are so close to becoming competitive,” says the Frenchman. I can’t wait to show the world what we are made of. ”
And here is in text the 5 essential information of this new episode.
Two weeks of racing and 50 weeks of preparation
“I used to take part in the Dakar on a motorcycle,” comments Cyril Despres. I know all the details to prepare for such a race. I know it takes strength in the legs and in the arms. But training to compete in a car is different. You are sitting on a seat. The neck works a lot. The arms are outstretched and hooked to the steering wheel 8 hours a day. ” The physical and mental demands of the Dakar are unique. And to arrive in optimal shape, Cyril Despres is supported by his coach Joel Laborde. “Cyril is a disciplined pilot,” comments the latter in the podcast. He is focused when he achieves something. Working with it is actually quite simple. ”
Keep your eyes on the road
In a car, unlike a motorcycle, Cyril Despres works with a co-pilot. The Frenchman is supported by the South African Taye Perry in 2022. “I took some time before agreeing to no longer look at the roadbook”, comments the French driver. “I finally realized that I needed to concentrate on the road better when driving at high speed.”
Taye Perry as a team with Cyril Despres on the Dakar 2022.
© Nacho Fidalgo / Red Bull Content Pool
How to succeed in your first Dakar
Long before winning the event several times, Cyril Despres was just a biker like any other dreaming of challenging himself in the ultimate endurance race. No team had yet heard of him, nor any sponsor. The French then had to be creative to stand out from the crowd. “With a friend, we decided to take part in the Dakar as amateurs. We had a strategy in place to pay for the trip. We had purchased 6000 bottles of wine which we had labeled with the following message “help you turn our dream into reality”. We had to sell all these bottles to obtain the € 30,000 needed to participate in the Dakar. ”
An era of rivalry
This episode of Beyond the Ordinary also looks back on the rivalry between Despres and Marc Coma. The two pilots accumulate 10 consecutive victories on the Dakar rally between 2005 and 2015. “Relations between two winners are sometimes delicate in the race, but that is part of the game”, reacts Marc Coma. “Despres was my motivation and the reason I wanted to improve every day.”
Marc Coma and Cyril Despres.
© Red Bull Media House
“After 10 years of racing in the Dakar, I realized one thing. The person who looks like me the most is not my brother, it’s Marc Coma.” Cyril Despres
Towards the future
Despres is therefore back on the Dakar with the Gen Z project and his incredible hydrogen car. The French competed in the race on 4 continents, but his passion for the event remains intact after all these years: “Does someone have to show me the future of this sport? Or can I become one of the pilots to lead the way? I like the technicality of this race and its mechanics. I like to start exploring the new directions we can take.”
Discover the podcast dedicated to Cyril Despres in Beyond the Ordinary by Red Bull, available on Apple , Spotify and Google .
Source: Red Bull
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