Keeping a cool head

January 2 ^nd 2025 - 09:39 [GMT + 3]

At the age of 34 years, Damien Bataller is taking part in his first Dakar and only his fourth rally-raid. It is an immense challenge, but one he intends to meet thanks to plenty of heart but also a cool head.

Damien’s story is like many others: with a bike enthusiast father and January evenings spent in front of the television watching riders get their teeth into the adventure on the African sands, he caught the bug at an early age. “I started riding a motorbike at the age of 14 years, beginning straight away with motocross and enduro,” says the man from Brittany. “Then, in 2019, I thought, ‘why not try out a rally-raid?’” The outcome saw him register for the Rallye de Maroc. “I learned how to use the roadbook between Nantes and Marrakech,” he remembers. As with others before him, Damien Battaler immediately fell for the charms of the desert: “I’ve always loved riding for hours on my bike, but this was something else… Finding yourself alone, in the middle of nowhere, riding at pace and navigating with a small scroll… well, I was hooked on it right from the start, even if at the beginning, I was nonetheless a bit scared of getting lost. However, that type of solitude forces you to excel and that’s something I really like”. Nevertheless, he had to wait for four years before his wheels tasted the sand again. Rally-raid riding costs a lot, so while waiting to get back to grips with the desert, Damien quenched his thirst for competition with motocross and enduro. He is also a running enthusiast and pushes himself to the limit on trails and ultra-trails. In October 2023, he registered again for the Moroccan rally, before tackling the Abu Dhabi Rally in February of the following year, straight after which he applied to take part in the Dakar, receiving a positive reply in July. “From that moment, there was no going back, it was time to start preparing,” he grins. Preparing for the Dakar also involved finding sponsors to help fund his participation. Damien called upon partners who had already helped him for his motocross and enduro races, plus others signed up for the project. “I got everyone involved in the adventure, people who believe in me and without whom nothing would have been possible. It really is one of the most beautiful parts of this project”. As he unpacked his bike and installed the roadbook and GPS provided by the organisers, KTM rider number 125 took the time to film a short video with his smartphone to post on his WhatsApp group. “I’m sharing my days on the race with everybody who is helping and supporting me”. For his first Dakar, which is only his fourth rally-raid, Damien wants to approach it with a calm hand. To do so, he knows he will have to keep a cool head and not let his competitive spirit get the better of him: “I have friends who have already taken part and, since we are similarly skilled in terms of riding, I started thinking about where I could finish in the rankings. However, after two big frights in Abu Dhabi, I realised it would be better to calm down and that just thinking about the result wouldn’t get me anywhere. People remember the riders who have finished the Dakar more than where they finished. Even if it is difficult to not give in to adrenaline, it will be sensible to ride at 70% capacity. Rather than spend my time continually picking up my bike, I’d rather save time by concentrating on the roadbook”. The man from Rennes is registered in the Original by Motul category and will only be able to rely on himself when he arrives at the bivouac, which in the end is not a problem, because Damien finds it difficult to delegate. “I like doing everything myself,” he sums up. “I’m a qualified mechanic and for the rest, such as nutrition, I learned what to do thanks to running. The most difficult thing to manage will be getting enough sleep”. This is why he will have to keep a little in reserve on the specials, to avoid pushing too hard for his machine but also for himself.