Silk Way Rally – Cyril Despres: “The best is yet to come”

After dominating the Motorcycle category, Cyril Despres successfully moved to Auto as evidenced by his two consecutive successes on the Silk Way Rally. Declared winner yesterday after the cancellation of the last special scheduled for this Saturday, the Frenchman retains his title in the event.

“It was a rally fantastic, a huge adventure and I am very happy to confirm my progress on four wheels with a new victory here, underlines Despres. I really like this test. Starting from Moscow and arriving in China... It's an exceptional race! Throughout the rally, neither David nor I made any big mistakes. That was the key to winning, as much as being able to count on a reliable car. »

Cyril Despres admits, however, that his margin for improvement still remains significant in the category, he who now aims to rise to the level of his teammates Stéphane Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb.

“To be honest, I still have a lot to learn as a car driver, comments the pilot Peugeot . I have to catch up in terms of pure speed compared to my teammates. But I measure my progress from year to year.

It's very motivating, because I know that the best is yet to come. Now we are turning to the Dakar, where we took third place last year. Winning here is the best preparation. I can't wait to drive the Peugeot DKR Maxi! »

The Peugeot 3008 DKR Maxi validates its passing test

Another reason for satisfaction for the Peugeot clan, the premiere of the Maxi version of the 3008 DKR. If Sébastien Loeb was forced to retire after being trapped in a bleed last Monday, the nine-time world rally champion demonstrated that the developments made by the Lion have borne fruit.

“The Peugeot DKR Maxi seems to bring improvements in all aspects, with no weak points, compared to the current car, explains Bruno Famin, boss of Peugeot Sport. As we expected – and perhaps even more – the Silk Way Rally was a tough test for all the competitors involved. A very competitive rally, due to the difficulty of the course, and the long and hard efforts required. intense.

Two of our cars were involved in accidents. And we weren't the only ones, as many other crews experienced similar problems. It was a very complicated rally, but it was what we were looking for!

We wanted a real challenge to prepare our cars for the next Dakar. Overall, I am very satisfied with our level of competitiveness, and also with the reliability of the cars, an essential point. Apart from a small power steering problem for Cyril, we didn't have any major problems with any car. It is most encouraging. »