"I fell twice, but it was so much fun!"

January 7 ^th 2018 - 08:25

47-year-old Alsatian Bruno Scheurer, a friend of Sébastien Loeb, can barely conceal his enthusiasm as he talks about his first few kilometres on the tracks of Peru.

It fell upon him to kick off the Dakar. Alsatian Bruno Scheurer, riding with race number 167, was the first biker to set off from the podium in Lima, Peru on Saturday morning. “I am at a loss for words to describe the atmosphere and how it feels to hear the crowd cheer you on”, he stresses. The dealer, who is also friends with Sébastien Loeb, is discovering the Dakar. “I was very nervous on my bike before the start, but after a few kilometres you feel the pleasure of riding on sand, like in Merzougha. I fell off my bike twice, but it was so much fun!”

Even having to backtrack during the special failed to dampen his enthusiasm. At the finish, he and many other amateur riders were interviewed live on TV. “After the broadcast, I got over 50 messages from friends back in Alsace. They’re celebrating over there!”. Bruno plans to play it safe on Sunday, when he and the rest of the field will tackle a 296 km special. “If I end up alone on the dunes, with no tracks to follow, I’ll die! [laughs] I’ll ride at my own pace, I know it’s going to be a long day.”