Rally Raid
The five-time Dakar champion gives us some early impressions of his new bike and new team.
Cyril Despres signed with Yamaha early this year to become the Japanese manufacturer’s latest weapon in their bid for 2014 Dakar glory.
Cyril had the opportunity to test the Yamaha 450 YZF in Dakar type conditions at the 2013 Rally Dos Sertoes earlier this year, putting in a strong performance to come second overall.
The French Dakar legend then took some time out whilst making a promotional film in Morocco to answer a few questions. Cyril was happy to share his thoughts on his year, including spending time with six-time Yamaha Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel, his first experience on the Yamaha machine and his perception of its performance potential.
Cyril will compete in the 2014 Dakar Rally alongside fellow Yamaha riders Olivier Pain, Frans Verhoeven and Michael Metge.
The teams infrastructure has been loaded onto ships for the long journey to South America but the bikes will remain behind and be airlifted at a later date. This extra time provides a precious opportunity for further last minute testing before what is shaping up to be the toughest Dakar challenge yet with new countries and tough terrain to be mastered.
The 2014 Dakar will have longer special stages than ever before, running through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile as it tests riders and machines to their limits.
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