Stephane Peterhansel on rally raid bike return: “I was a little lost at first but it’s coming back”

Stéphane Peterhansel spent the previous week doing one thing he had not tried in many years: racing a rally raid on a motorcycle. The fourteen-time Dakar Rally champion returned to his roots on the Morocco Desert Problem when he took half on a Yamaha Ténéré 700 as a part of the Ténéré Spirit Experience.

“It has been a really very long time since I had ridden an enormous bike within the desert,” stated Peterhansel in the course of the rally. “It goes again to the Dakar in 1998.

“I used to be slightly misplaced at first but it surely’s coming again. You be at liberty with the air round you, it’s very totally different from the automobile. You may odor the mud and the warmth, I had forgotten all that.”

The chance arose throughout a lull in his schedule as Peterhansel just isn’t operating the complete World Rally-Raid Championship, whose Sonora Rally occurred on the identical week because the MDC. His spouse Andréa Peterhansel and Monster Vitality Yamaha Rally Group supervisor Marc Bourgeois function normal managers for the TSE.

The TSE is a non-competitive class supposed for Ténéré homeowners to expertise rallies with out racing towards others, making it a viable choice for Peterhansel to re-adjust to life on two wheels. As such, the TSE adopted a distinct route from the principle occasion as a part of the Raid class.

“The raid is a pleasant components, we don’t do too many kilometres and we don’t have the strain of lap occasions,” he continued. “I even took the chance to cease and take some photos, it’s an enormous first for me within the desert. Navigation is simple due to the Tripy system, it is rather intuitive. The bike is nice, we rode along with the opposite companions who’re very good.”

Whereas Peterhansel was not categorised within the order, the Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Group‘s Pol Tarrès and Rodney Faggoter completed third and fourth general within the bike class. The group serves as Yamaha’s final “manufacturing facility” rally raid bike programme after the producer shuttered their Dakar Rally division in 2022.

The MDC marked a reunion for “Mr. Dakar”, who received six Dakar Rallies for Yamaha on a motorcycle (1991 via 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1998) earlier than switching to vehicles. Since then, he has received eight extra occasions. His final two Dakar Rallies with Audi have resulted in retirement.