Cyril Despres has been riding in the Dakar Rally since 2001. He has three Dakar championships to his name but was beaten out last year by rival Marc Coma. Despres will be gunning for his fourth championship in a few days when the 2012 edition of the Dakar Rally kicks off in South America.
Despres took his first podium finish in 2003 and his first victory in 2005. Ever since then, Despres and Marc Coma have alternated Dakar Rally wins. Now, the two favorites are tied at three championship wins apiece.
"This year I totally changed my way of preparing for the Dakar. I skipped the traditional rally-raids for different terrains," Despres said. "This allowed me to get out of a routine and adapt to other environments. I spent a very intense week in Brazil where Felipe Zanol and I were neck and neck with on the final day. It was a very rewarding confrontation. For the Dakar, I have made piece with Marc and we will race in the same colours. And what I wish is that the title is decided on the track and not by penalties. I didn't race against the other Dakar riders that much this season and I don't know where they are. I think the new penalties in the case of an engine change are interesting. I always take care of my machine and on the Dos Sertoes I ran for 10 days with the same engine. So, I think it can go the distance on the Dakar."
Here's a video of Despres preparing for the 2012 Dakar Rally.
The Dakar Rally begins on January 1st.
