It was when the sun began to set over the Saudi desert that the first signs of the ex-rallyman’s future troubles appeared. “Unfortunately, 100 km from the end of the day yesterday, we started to feel something fishy in the left rear. I was starting to have to pump the brake pedal. I had already slowed down a bit at that point. When we arrived at the bivouac, we quickly detected the problem. It was the left rear bearing that was broken. The six fixing screws had blown! We made a makeshift repair with the little material at our disposal.”
A harsh awakening
Belgian fans were unfortunately going to wake up to some very bad news. “Sixty kilometers after the restart, we lost the wheel. The bearing had failed. We repaired again, without waiting for our assistance truck which was still too far away. It held up, we drove slowly until the finish. This is not what we would have liked for our start to Dakar. We had a good starting position, we started well. It’s frustrating but that’s how it is.”
gullIt’s going to be hard for our rivals too and everyone will have their share of problems.
However, de Mévius appeals for calm. A final place in the Top 10, or even the Top 5, cannot be ruled out for the 2024 silver medalist.”Two and a half hours lost is not the end either. We’re disappointed but we’re going to reset the counters, get a good rest, in our beds after sleeping rough during the 48-hour stage. And this Tuesday, we will begin our recovery. A year ago, I finished 1h20 behind the winner. 2:30 a.m. is not death either. We can still achieve a good result and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come.”
National supporters must therefore continue to follow the adventures of Guillaume and Mathieu Baumel. With a particularly tough Dakar 2025, the suspense promises to be complete and the comebacks will be legion. “The organizers have planned some very difficult things for the next few days. So it’s not over yet. We should still have a lot of surprises until the rest day. I don’t wish misfortune on our rivals but it’s going to be hard for them too and everyone will have their share of problems.”
The Dakar on LN24: Watch this evening at 10 p.m. exclusively the 52-minute summary of the stage and exclusive interviews
