Face to face
bike
A Dakar for hope
NUMBER 67: TEAM ALSACE DAKAR
Patrice Grunewald
The Dakar would now have a whole new meaning. That much soon became obvious to Patrice Grunewald when he learned, last winter, that his elder son Lucas, aged nine, was suffering from a rare genetic disease: Friedreich’s Ataxis, a children’s illness that attacks the nervous system, causing balance and speech difficulties and limiting life expectancy to around thirty. After initially giving up his “Dakar project” while still reeling from the shock of it all, Patrice, an unassuming 39-year-old Alsace-region amateur, will now be lining up with the aim of overcoming his own biking fears in order to aid medical research, or more particularly the Freidreich’s Ataxis Support Foundation (A.C.C.A.F.) chaired by a doctor at Paris’s Necker hospital.
“When we found out about the illness, it was like a hammer blow,” Patrice recalls in a voice infused with emotion. For me, there was no question of going off on the Dakar; I just wanted to stay with my wife and kids… But then my pals from Team Alsace Dakar convinced me that courtesy of its media exposure, the rally could be extremely useful for raising general public awareness of the condition and collecting funds for medical research.” The local media soon came on board and the team’s activities (meals, regional fairs, T-shirt sales) have already enabled the collection of several thousand euros.
And although his first attempt at the Dakar in 2004 came to an abrupt end on the fringes of the Mauritanian desert, Patrice Grunewald, the boss of a Nissan Trucks dealership in the Strasbourg suburbs, appears more determined than ever to take his KTM onto the banks of the Lac Rose. In this way, he hopes to provide maximum help to the researchers whose work offers hope to some 1,500 children and adults in France afflicted by this terrible genetic illness.
car
Patrice Grunewald
The Dakar would now have a whole new meaning. That much soon became obvious to Patrice Grunewald when he learned, last winter, that his elder son Lucas, aged nine, was suffering from a rare genetic disease: Friedreich’s Ataxis, a children’s illness that attacks the nervous system, causing balance and speech difficulties and limiting life expectancy to around thirty. After initially giving up his “Dakar project” while still reeling from the shock of it all, Patrice, an unassuming 39-year-old Alsace-region amateur, will now be lining up with the aim of overcoming his own biking fears in order to aid medical research, or more particularly the Freidreich’s Ataxis Support Foundation (A.C.C.A.F.) chaired by a doctor at Paris’s Necker hospital.
“When we found out about the illness, it was like a hammer blow,” Patrice recalls in a voice infused with emotion. For me, there was no question of going off on the Dakar; I just wanted to stay with my wife and kids… But then my pals from Team Alsace Dakar convinced me that courtesy of its media exposure, the rally could be extremely useful for raising general public awareness of the condition and collecting funds for medical research.” The local media soon came on board and the team’s activities (meals, regional fairs, T-shirt sales) have already enabled the collection of several thousand euros.
And although his first attempt at the Dakar in 2004 came to an abrupt end on the fringes of the Mauritanian desert, Patrice Grunewald, the boss of a Nissan Trucks dealership in the Strasbourg suburbs, appears more determined than ever to take his KTM onto the banks of the Lac Rose. In this way, he hopes to provide maximum help to the researchers whose work offers hope to some 1,500 children and adults in France afflicted by this terrible genetic illness.
Go for it, Jean-Louis!
NUMBER 314 – Schlesser-Ford
Jean-Louis Schlesser (FRA) – François Borsotto (FRA)
He’s a double winner of the Dakar, the first driver to triumph with a two-wheel drive vehicle and a five-time winner of the FIA all-terrain rally world cup: so what is it that makes Jean-Louis Schlesser keep on entering every year? Now aged 57, this former racing driver has won practically everything in the raid rally field, but since Mitsubishi tightened its grip on the Dakar, Jean-Louis Schlesser has been chomping at the bit. A born competitor who likes nothing better than a challenge, this former Williams F1 driver is not the type to concede defeat. And although this traditional craftsman is not necessarily competing on a level playing field with the official teams, he still manages to ruffle the feathers of Peterhansel, Alphand, Saby et al.
Since 2001 and the emergence of the Mitsubishis, “Jean-Louis la malice” has been battling manfully to compete with them. Like in the 2001 Dakar, for instance, when after copping an hour’s penalty for straying into a neutral zone, he fought like a lion to drag his two-wheel drive into 3rd place overall. His 2002 race ended in Morocco, but he completed the season with a fourth consecutive raid rally world title!
The last few years have been marked by a string of Dakar abandonments, with the exception of his 3rd place finish in 2004. His more or less extended appearances in the rally have wrongly led to him gaining a reputation as a “car-wrecker”, but they have also served to clarify the situation regarding the potential of his machines. In 2005, for example, Schlesser gained the upper hand over his rivals on the Zouerat –Tichit stage, before getting stuck at Fort de Gallaouya due to a mechanical problem. No one knows how much trouble he could have caused the big boys if his breakdown truck had not itself broken down.
To take his revenge on the “factories”, Schlesser has secured the services of another well-known buggy pilot, Thierry Magnaldi. At the wheel of two V8s which would not look out of place in “Mitsu” or “ VW” colours, the two men have but one mantra: attack, in order to win. Josep-Maria Servia, in the stable’s third car, will play the role of water-bearer.
Jean-Louis Schlesser’s Dakar honours
1996 14th overall, Grenada – Dakar (without co-driver)
1997 Abandoned, Dakar - Dakar
1998 5th overall, Paris – Grenada - Dakar
1999 Winner, Grenada - Dakar
2000 Winner, Dakar – Cairo
2001 3rd overall, Paris - Dakar
2002 Abandoned on Stage 6, Arras – Madrid - Dakar
2003 Abandoned on Stage 7, Marseilles – Sharm El Sheikh
2004 3rd, Clermont-Ferrand – Dakar
2005 Abandoned on Stage 7, Barcelona - Dakar
Co-driver: François BORSOTTO (FRA)
Highlights of his career
1985 French Interleague Cup – 1st
1986 French Endurance Champion 125 cc
1989 French Interclub Cup – 1st
1996 Paris Dakar 15th overall and 3rd in Marathon category
1998 4th overall in Moroccan Orpi Rally ( co-driver of Bruno Saby)
1999 French Dirt Rally Championship (Peugeot 206, co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2000 Raid Rally World Cup, 2nd T1 in Mercedes (co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2001 Raid Rally World Cup, 2nd T1 in Mercedes (co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2002 Raid Rally World Cup, 1st production in Mercedes (co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2003 Téléfonica-Dakar, 21st in Overall Ranking (co-driver of Andrea Mayer)
3rd overall in Moroccan Orpi Rally ( co-driver of Josep-Maria Servia)
2004 Téléfonica-Dakar, 19th in Overall Ranking (co-driver of Josep-Maria Servia)
Moroccan Orpi, winner of the 2-wheel drive category, 2nd overall (co-driver of J-L Schlesser)
Rallye d’Orient, winner of 2-wheel driver category, 2nd overall (co-driver of J-L Schlesser)
Jean-Louis Schlesser (FRA) – François Borsotto (FRA)
He’s a double winner of the Dakar, the first driver to triumph with a two-wheel drive vehicle and a five-time winner of the FIA all-terrain rally world cup: so what is it that makes Jean-Louis Schlesser keep on entering every year? Now aged 57, this former racing driver has won practically everything in the raid rally field, but since Mitsubishi tightened its grip on the Dakar, Jean-Louis Schlesser has been chomping at the bit. A born competitor who likes nothing better than a challenge, this former Williams F1 driver is not the type to concede defeat. And although this traditional craftsman is not necessarily competing on a level playing field with the official teams, he still manages to ruffle the feathers of Peterhansel, Alphand, Saby et al.
Since 2001 and the emergence of the Mitsubishis, “Jean-Louis la malice” has been battling manfully to compete with them. Like in the 2001 Dakar, for instance, when after copping an hour’s penalty for straying into a neutral zone, he fought like a lion to drag his two-wheel drive into 3rd place overall. His 2002 race ended in Morocco, but he completed the season with a fourth consecutive raid rally world title!
The last few years have been marked by a string of Dakar abandonments, with the exception of his 3rd place finish in 2004. His more or less extended appearances in the rally have wrongly led to him gaining a reputation as a “car-wrecker”, but they have also served to clarify the situation regarding the potential of his machines. In 2005, for example, Schlesser gained the upper hand over his rivals on the Zouerat –Tichit stage, before getting stuck at Fort de Gallaouya due to a mechanical problem. No one knows how much trouble he could have caused the big boys if his breakdown truck had not itself broken down.
To take his revenge on the “factories”, Schlesser has secured the services of another well-known buggy pilot, Thierry Magnaldi. At the wheel of two V8s which would not look out of place in “Mitsu” or “ VW” colours, the two men have but one mantra: attack, in order to win. Josep-Maria Servia, in the stable’s third car, will play the role of water-bearer.
Jean-Louis Schlesser’s Dakar honours
1996 14th overall, Grenada – Dakar (without co-driver)
1997 Abandoned, Dakar - Dakar
1998 5th overall, Paris – Grenada - Dakar
1999 Winner, Grenada - Dakar
2000 Winner, Dakar – Cairo
2001 3rd overall, Paris - Dakar
2002 Abandoned on Stage 6, Arras – Madrid - Dakar
2003 Abandoned on Stage 7, Marseilles – Sharm El Sheikh
2004 3rd, Clermont-Ferrand – Dakar
2005 Abandoned on Stage 7, Barcelona - Dakar
Co-driver: François BORSOTTO (FRA)
Highlights of his career
1985 French Interleague Cup – 1st
1986 French Endurance Champion 125 cc
1989 French Interclub Cup – 1st
1996 Paris Dakar 15th overall and 3rd in Marathon category
1998 4th overall in Moroccan Orpi Rally ( co-driver of Bruno Saby)
1999 French Dirt Rally Championship (Peugeot 206, co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2000 Raid Rally World Cup, 2nd T1 in Mercedes (co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2001 Raid Rally World Cup, 2nd T1 in Mercedes (co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2002 Raid Rally World Cup, 1st production in Mercedes (co-driver of Thierry Magnaldi)
2003 Téléfonica-Dakar, 21st in Overall Ranking (co-driver of Andrea Mayer)
3rd overall in Moroccan Orpi Rally ( co-driver of Josep-Maria Servia)
2004 Téléfonica-Dakar, 19th in Overall Ranking (co-driver of Josep-Maria Servia)
Moroccan Orpi, winner of the 2-wheel drive category, 2nd overall (co-driver of J-L Schlesser)
Rallye d’Orient, winner of 2-wheel driver category, 2nd overall (co-driver of J-L Schlesser)