Cyril Despres facts for kids
Cyril Despres in 2009
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | January 24, 1974 Nemours, France |
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| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  France |
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| Sport | Motorsport (cars, bikes) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Rally raid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World finals | 2 World Championship (2003, 2009) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Cyril Despres (born 24 January 1974) is a famous French rally racer. He lives in Andorra. Cyril is best known for winning the tough Dakar Rally five times on a KTM motorcycle. He won in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2013.
He also won other challenging races. These include the Red Bull Romaniacs three times (2004, 2005, 2007). He also won the Erzberg Rodeo twice (2002, 2003). Later in his career, Cyril started racing cars. In 2018, he was an official driver for the Team Peugeot Total.
Contents
Cyril Despres' Racing Journey
Early Dakar Rally Challenges
In the 2012 Dakar Rally, Cyril Despres faced a tough challenge. During one stage, his bike got stuck in the mud. Another rider, Paulo Gonçalves, helped him get out. Cyril later continued the race. The organizers changed the course because many riders got stuck. Cyril was given back the time he lost.
Cyril had a very close race with his teammate, Marc Coma. They both rode KTM bikes. On the second-to-last stage, Marc Coma had a problem with his bike. This allowed Cyril to take the lead. Cyril kept his lead until the end of the rally. This win was his fourth Dakar Rally victory. It meant he had won as many times as the famous Italian rider, Edi Orioli.
Switching to Cars
A big change happened in Cyril's career in 2015. He decided to switch from racing motorbikes to racing cars. He joined the Peugeot team. He raced alongside other famous drivers like Carlos Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel. These drivers had also successfully switched from bikes to cars.
Cyril's co-driver was Gilles Picard. In their first year together, they finished 34th. In 2016, Cyril improved a lot. He finished 7th overall with his new co-driver, David Castera.
Winning the Silk Way Rally
In July 2016, Cyril and David Castera won the cars' category. This was at the Silk Way Rally. This is a very long and difficult rally race. They were so good that they won the race again the next year.
Dakar Rally Results Overview
Cyril Despres has competed in the Dakar Rally many times. Here is a summary of his results over the years:
| Year | Class | Vehicle | Position | Stages won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Motorbike |  Honda |
16th | 0 |
| 2001 |  BMW |
13th | 1 | |
| 2002 |  KTM |
DNF | 0 | |
| 2003 | 2nd | 3 | ||
| 2004 | 3rd | 4 | ||
| 2005 | 1st | 2 | ||
| 2006 | 2nd | 4 | ||
| 2007 | 1st | 2 | ||
| 2008 (CE) | 5th | 2 | ||
| 2009 | 2nd | 4 | ||
| 2010 | 1st | 3 | ||
| 2011 | 2nd | 3 | ||
| 2012 | 1st | 3 | ||
| 2013 | 1st | 1 | ||
| 2014 | Yamaha |
4th | 3 | |
| 2015 | Cars |  Peugeot |
34th | 0 |
| 2016 | 7th | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 3rd | 1 | ||
| 2018 | 31st | 1 | ||
| 2019 |  Mini |
5th | 0 | |
| 2020 | SSV |  OT3 buggy |
DNF | 0 |
| 2021 | Cars | Peugeot |
10th | 0 |
NOTE: The 2008 Dakar race was moved to Hungary and Romania. This happened because of safety concerns in Mauritania.
Other Major Wins
Cyril Despres has won many other important races besides the Dakar Rally.
Car Race Wins
- Silk Way Rally
2016 (driving a Peugeot 2008 DKR)- 2017 (driving a Peugeot 3008 DKR)
Motorbike Race Wins
- Tunisia Rally
- (2004, 2005, 2009)
(2003)
(2000)
- Orient Rally
- (2005)
- Rallye du Maroc
- (2000, 2003, 2010, 2012)
- Brazil Rally
- (2006, 2011)
- (2007, 2009, 2013)
- Rally dos Sertões
- (2009)
See also
In Spanish: Cyril Despres para niños
