After being especially invited to join in a race along some of Argentina’s most iconic and beautiful landscapes, how could Dakar Rally champ Cyril Despres possibly say no?
Cyril Despres has waved goodbye to Argentina for the second time this year after his guest appearance at Desafio Ruta 40.
Just a few months after completing another memorable Dakar Rally in South America, the Team KTM Red Bull biker was back to treat his fans to some top Enduro riding.
Cyril was the star guest at the second running of the Desafio Ruta 40, a race from the southern tip of Argentina up to the country’s border with Bolivia. The race travels along the entirety of Argentina’s iconic Ruta 40 freeway.
The three-time Dakar champion received a personal invitation to compete in the race from Carlos Enrique Meyer, Argentina’s Minister of Tourism.
After completing three Dakars in South America, the Frenchman - who speaks fluent Spanish - was happy to have another chance to perform for his army of fans in Argentina.
“I found the race enjoyable and challenging at the same time,” said Despres. “The route through Patagonia was long but the scenery was breathtaking. I had the chance to visit places I had never been before and I was amazed by the things I saw.”
The race rules for Desafio Ruta 40 are a little different compared to what Cyril has been used to in other rally raids. The race records the riders’ average speed over marathon stages rather than timing performance on timed specials.
“In 10 years, I have raced over 80 rallies with 40 podium finishes and 28 wins. During this time it has all been about being the quickest on the stage. This race is different and I enjoyed discovering the new style of riding I found on Desafio Ruta 40.”
Cyril rode the first half of the marathon route, the 1,325km from the Strait of Magellan to the wine-growing province of Mendoza. The journey was an eye-opening experience for Cyril as he encountered 100metre-high glaciers along the route.
“The different nature of this race meant I could step off the gas and enjoy the spectacular landscapes.”
“I got involved with bikes because it was something I enjoyed, it was all for fun,” he says. “Over the years however, the pressure has grown so you see nothing else but the final result. The different nature of this race meant I could step off the gas and enjoy the spectacular landscapes. On one stage, I stopped for an hour to help a guy fix his bike. This kind of thing is nearly impossible when you’re trying to win the Dakar.”
But it wasn’t just Cyril putting his mechanical expertise to work in Argentina. On the third day of the race, Cyril had some problems with the KTM 690 that was lent to him for the race by local rider Pablo Pascual.
“I wheeled my bike into a town and asked if there was a place I could get it fixed,” says Cyril. “Some kids told me to take my bike to this makeshift garage behind the back of a house. I had to wait because the kid who ran the garage wouldn’t believe his friends that Despres was waiting at his home, he thought it was a joke because it was his birthday that day. The kid did a great job fixing the bike and to thank him I gave him some souvenirs.”
Despite having to jet off home halfway through the race Cyril collected more happy memories of Argentina.
“In 1998, I ran my first rally in Tunisia as a total amateur,” he says. “Between then and now I’m not sure I’ve have enjoyed a race as much. These days, rally raids are less about adventure for me, winning is always the main thing. It was great to follow Ruta 40, the riding was so carefree with no waypoints to check.”
After the ease of riding along Argentina’s most famous highway it seems Cyril’s route home is a far more complicated than the race itself. Cyril must take flights between Mendoza and Santiago, Santiago and Madrid, Madrid and Barcelona and then tackle a two-hour drive to Andorra before putting his feet up.
Back in Andorra, the Frenchman expects all his friends to be asking him to compare their ski slopes with the pistes of Bariloche. Cyril insists those questions will have to wait until he has taken care of his first priority, his wife and his eight-month-old daughter.
Want more?
- Check out Cyril’s profile page
- All round to Cyril’s with Pink and Halle Berry
- Read Cyril’s blogs
- Visit the Red Bull motorsports pages
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