Cyril Neveu: “I miss Africa”

A five-time winner of the motorcycle Dakar in the early years (1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1987), Cyril Neveu has remarkably converted himself into the organization of high-end classic rallies. At 66, he doesn't plan to stop. He even plans to compete in the 2024 Dakar with his son as co-pilot.

Published on 16/12/2022 à 18:00

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Carpooling with Cyril Neveu © Fabien Gérard

Cyril, why are we at the Parc de Saint-Cloud with this convertible DS?

The Parc de Saint-Cloud is a piece of countryside in the heart of Paris. I come there to cycle and go for walks. But I am deserting the capital more and more often. I like to recharge my batteries in my country houses: one in Haute-Savoie, the other in Var. The DS Chapron is a nod to my father. This car was in the garage when I was a kid. It's thanks to him that I competed in the first Dakar. Maybe it reads AUTOhebdo From up there…

Explain to us…

Competition is in our blood at the Nephews. My father (Claude. Editor’s note) was a double canoe-kayak world champion. He also competed in Monte-Carlo and always owned motorcycles. As a kid, I didn't hesitate to try them in Orléans (Loiret), my hometown. When I was 17, I started competing in trials. This is where I met Hubert Auriol. When we learned of the existence of rally Abidjan-Nice (mixed rally initially called Côte-Côte for Ivory Coast and Côte-d'Azur, the first start of which took place on December 1, 25. Editor’s note), my father and I signed up. It excited us terribly to discover Africa, a continent that we didn't know about. My dad drove a Range Rover and I drove a Yamaha. It was also in this 2nd edition, in 1976, that Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and was re-found by a miracle. I finished in 6th place, I think. VS