Dakar
Dakar: Face to Face, day four
Face to Face The Dakar Magazine January 3, 2005 Everyday feelings of those who are not specially famous but who dare the challenge and give a dream for those who stay behind... Franck Cinier - Aventure Desert 2005 - 140 A giant video ...
Edited: Jan 5, 2005, 3:38 PM
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Face to Face
The Dakar Magazine
January 3, 2005
Everyday feelings of those who are not specially famous but who dare the challenge and give a dream for those who stay behind...
Franck Cinier - Aventure Desert 2005 - 140
A giant video game
For his first participation on a Telefonica-Dakar, Franck Cinier has already suffered early worries. Indeed, like around 30 other bikers, he had to cope with battery problems on his KTM and rode the 920km of the long liaison to Granada without electricity. Therefore every time the 43-year-old Frenchman stopped, he had to re-start the engine with the battery of another rider or have the bike pushed. Other than that, without electricity: no road-book and worst of all, no lights...As a consequence to these problems, this former French national cyclist had to ride the last 180km extremely carefully in the night and as only reference the rear lights of the other bikes and cars around him. "I thought I was in a video game. It was really funny. I would do all I could so that the others would see me. Actually a lot of them would make big signs thinking I hadn't noticed. And during all the road, I laughed on my own under my helmet telling myself: 'thank God I'm not in the desert'...
A small worry that luckily didn't have bad consequences. Franck Cinier was eventually able to cover the 10km of the rally's second special without a problem and ... with a new battery. "It was a very nice course with nice slippery conditions and that made things pleasant although I took it easy. On this kind of special a mistake can cost you a lot". This realtor will certainly remember his Spanish fright, especially after deciding 5 years ago to make a dream come true by proving to himself he was capable of it in the preparation as well as on the piste and sharing his experience with others. "While preparing myself, I started 'motivation camps' in schools. The goal was to show that with a little will, one can set his own path to follow. That's what I try to do for them, helping them find a guide in there proper self".
Attracted by this "crazy race" as a youngster when he would go the Trocadero in Paris on the 1st of January to see the competitors take off for the rally, Franck Cinier first started with his early passion for cycling. A sport in which he managed a good amateur career, entering the French National team before deciding not to turn pro...This former winner of the 24h carting race, decided to turn to a more normal job in real estate and a life were sports continues to have a very important place. At the point that seeing friends take off on the Dakar, he decided to start riding bikes to help them out I their preparation. "While helping them, I found out that I wasn't that ridiculous and that I also had he level to do it. So I started with shorter races but it was soon time for the biggest of them all...
Time for another experience after a rally-raid every year for the last 4 years, a French national university cycling title, two appearances on the Paris-Roubaix cycling race, quite a few enduro races as well as Porsche Cups...
Anyhow, only one thing obsesses him now: to bring sand back from the Lac Rose finish in Senegal, to his home in France. "Of course, I hope to manage some good performances in my category, but I also know that I have to remain reasonable especially because it's my first experience on the rally. I've decided to take off, keeping in mind that I want to ride with my head and only 75% of my capacity not to be in danger. I know how lucky I am to be doing such a thing and I don't want to waste it...
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