Meo and his hybrid Apache

Dakar 2025 | Stage 1 | BISHA > BISHA
January 4 ^th 2025 - 11:05 [GMT + 3]

Antoine Meo lined up for his fourth Dakar as part of the groundbreaking Apache project, a hybrid Challenger car made in France.

The story between Antoine Meo and the Dakar has been written in alternating chapters. A five-time enduro world champion, the man from Digne-les-Bains made his mark on the toughest rally raid on Earth in his very first motorbike start, back in 2016, finishing seventh overall and picking up two stage wins along the way. After claiming fourth in his second appearance two years later, he returned to the rally in 2023, this time behind the wheel of a T3.

"The Dakar has cost me two wrists, but my love for the desert conquers everything", quips Antoine. He has now returned to the Dakar, involved in the brand-new Apache project. The story began in January 2023. At the finish of one of the rally's final stages, he met Cédric Mazenq, who showed him the drawings of the APH-01 he was designing. "Four months later, I was in the cockpit. Two years on, we're at the Dakar start line", he beams. "We're entered in the Challenger class, which suits this project perfectly."

Developed by the Auvergne-based outfit GCK, the Apache is a hybrid T3 showcasing French engineering prowess. "It's got an eco-friendly angle", explains Meo. "We've got a flax fibre shell instead of carbon fibre. We've also got loads of parts made from recycled materials. It's got a hybrid system too: the engine drives the rear wheels and powers alternators that charge a battery, which feeds a front motor to give us four-wheel drive. So I've got to manage the battery consumption. You need to recharge it at certain points and use it at others."

Naturally, Antoine Meo and his co-driver, Guilhem Alves, are bracing for some tough moments. That starts right from week one with the 48 h chrono stage and the lengthy marathon stage, where they will need to dodge any issues. The good news is that the prologue has already gone smoothly. "The goal was to keep the car in one piece and avoid punctures while pushing the envelope a bit", reveals the man from southern France. "We dodged the pitfalls and our feel for the car is getting better. The pace of technological development is mind-blowing. It's looking promising, even though we know the car is in its infancy and we might face some hiccups to overcome. The main thing will be managing our electric and fuel consumption optimally, learning the ropes and keeping ourselves fresh to tackle the second week in the best possible shape."