DESPRES TIMES!
By TMX Archives on 7th Jan 09
WITH this year's Dakar Rallye now underway an exciting new chapter in the event's history has begun. Cancelled in 2008 due to the very real threat of terrorism in North Africa, after a 24-month absence the world's biggest rally is back and is now running in South America.T+MX correspondent JONTY EDMUNDS caught up with 2007 bike winner, Cyril Despres, before he headed to South America to find out what the KTM factory rider was expecting ahead of the first ever Dakar held in Argentina and Chile... T+MX: Firstly Cyril, congratulations on winning the UAE Desert Challenge. How strange was it having your first desert race of 2008 at the end of October?
Despres: It was a really enjoyable race for me, but a little strange. Although the race was quite late in the season, it was actually my first desert race of 2008. I had been getting a bit fed up with some of the small races, with small sprint stages, so it was good to finally have a race with long stages in the desert.
There is a very specific strategy that you have to use during the event in Dubai, which determines the position you start each of the stages. I didn't make any mistakes, didn't damage my bike, so it was great. Some riders had problems but I couldn't have asked for a better event.
T+MX: As the last major event before Dakar, how important an event was the UAE Desert Challenge in your preparations?
Despres: It is hugely important. One thing I've learned over the years is that it is massively important to finish the year before Dakar with no injuries or problems. Then to do well in the UAE gives you a really good feeling.
T+MX: This year's Dakar is a hugely important one, not only for all the competitors, but also for the event itself. What are your thoughts about Dakar in South America?
Despres: Although there are a lot of unanswered questions about Dakar in South America, and although I haven't raced in Argentina, I am not scared of the change from Africa to South America. Dakar has always been the race, and, after the 2008 event was cancelled, I was
concerned that it might become simple just an-other race. Argentina and Chile both have terrain that will challenge all of the competitors. I think the 2009 event will be tough.
T+MX: Having studied the route, do you see any obvious challenges?
Despres: The first days will not be too difficult. But after that the event looks like it will get tougher and tougher. Just two days from the end there is a really long, hard day.
From what I heard it will be tough. The only country where we normally ride where it is hot is Dubai, which is for four or five days. In South America we will race 14 or 15 stages in the heat, which will be hard. Managing the heat will make the event challenging.
T+MX: One big difference this year is that no riders will really know what is coming next, having not ridden any of the stages before. Do you see that as a good thing?
Despres: That is one of the things that will make the event very different. All of the riders know what Morocco is like, that there are one or two stages in Mauritania that are good for certain riders, and that on day nine you need to navigate well. We knew what to expect a lot of the time. We were already prepared for the event. In South America it will be very different. There will be a lot of surprises. It's not easy planning for the new event.
TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2009