Dakar 2009 : Dakar

EVELYNE COTINET

Not everybody comes back from the Dakar with a tan... In the trailer truck identified as "editing room", Évelyne Cotinet edits 26-minute reports broadcasted on Eurosport and on foreign televisions. She does not see much sun. As an audiovisual degree holder, Évelyne has been editor on the Dakar since 1994. "Back in the days, I used to work for La Cinq who used to broadcast the Dakar. I immediately love the adventure, she says. I love everything here: the atmosphere, the people, the tenacity of the participants, team work... It’s a privilege to be a part of such an event and at a special time of the year for me. So far, in Africa, we used to work on a plane; here we have a truck and we travel by bus or by plane during the night. We leave the bivouac around 5:00 AM. Upon arrival at the bivouac of the next stage, before we start working, I take a shower then - once the truck has been set up -at around 9:30 AM I start editing. I edit the 26 minutes of the international program that is then used by Eurosport and by foreign televisions and another 5 minutes for the Portuguese television. This means that we are working non-stop; we just have time to grab a sandwich for lunch around 4:30 PM. When my report has been broadcasted, I can have a break. Then around 7:00 PM I watch the images I did not see... I have the advantage of not having to invest in sun screen because when my day is done, there is not much sun left! Then it’s time to set up the tent, have dinner and try to get some sleep." Despite this crazy work patter, just like all women in the Dakar, Évelyne loves this life. "I love the Dakar but I just cannot explain why. It’s magic! As to being a woman in a world of men, it’s no problem at all; it doesn’t count! In television, we are a team and that’s it!"