Par
Julien Boissel
Published on
Jan 3, 2025 at 6:32 a.m.
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It's the adventure of a lifetime. Jim Moses is at the start of Dakar Rallythe most famous rally-raid in the world which is starting Friday January 3, 2025. At the wheel of his motorcycle, the resident of Neauphe-sur-Dive, near Argentan (Orne), represents the former Lower Normandy with two of his friends, also engaged as motorcycle pilots.
One of the smallest teams in the Dakar Rally
“We form Team Enduro Normandie. We are a 100% Norman team because Alexandre Yon lives in Calvados and Thomas Georgin lives in Manche,” exclaims the Ornais from 35 ans. “We will be the smallest team in the Dakar because we have not hired professional mechanical assistance. Two mechanics accompany us with the van and all our equipment. »
Their “mobile garage” is also authentic since it is above all a company vehicle used by one of Jim Moisa's partners.
The trio didn't prepare like everyone else, but that doesn't matter: the main thing is elsewhere.
We want it to be a moment just between friends and to create unforgettable memories.
Extreme conditions in terms of temperature
The Dakar Rally takes place from Friday January 3 to Friday January 17, 2025. This year, participants will travel the trails of the Arabian Desert, in Saudi Arabia, and will face “extreme” conditions, as Jim Moisa tells us. “It will be super hot during the day, but in the evening it will be very cold. When you watch the races, everyone wears heated jackets and gloves. » The Trunois fears the night temperatures more than the pace of the race. “Even if we do 500 miles a day, I'm no longer afraid of being cold. That's why I only bring warm clothes while we're in the desert. I remember that on some editions it was -5 degrees at night. »
Two years of preparation
The Odyssey of the Three Normans started in 2022, during a motorcycle ride. “With Thomas (Georgin), we saw a Dakar number on a hiker's jacket and we immediately looked at each other and said: Damn, he did the Dakar Rally,” recalls the resident of Trun. “For us, he was a legend, we said to ourselves that he was going to make us miserable. »
During the ride, the members of the Enduro Normandie Team sympathize with their interlocutor and ask him for advice about the rally-raid. “He only told us to block a participation date because he said you always had a reason to postpone the deadline whereas when you are registered, everything falls into place and you have to prepare. »
100 000 € they budget
Neither one nor two, the three bikers set their sights on 2025. But before the big day, the preparation looks like a long way of the cross during which it is necessary juggling professional life, private life and preparing for the event.
-“Participants are generally self-employed or allow themselves a full year of preparation. But for us, it was not possible. Many people told us that it was complicated to carry out another project in parallel with the Dakar Rally. Hearing this motivated us even more. »
The trio therefore adapted and put on several hats.
You have to manage everything from A to Z. Preparing the bike, finding sponsors, communicating about the event, training… We are far from optimal preparation. And again, I don't have children unlike my friends.
Preparation costs time but also a lot of money. “We have a budget of €100,000 for the three of us and the two mechanics. The sponsors brought us €70,000 and the prize pool allowed us to raise €9,000. »
In terms of training, Jim Moisa ran 40 km per week in addition to his motorcycle tours which he manages as guide qualified by the French Motorcycling Federation since 2021. His results recorded over the last two years at the world and European championships allowed him to register for the Dakar Rally.
A boon for Trunois motorcycle enthusiast since his youth. “My parents ran a motorcycle shop when I was young and I started doing it when I was 14. »
“Finisher” medal objective
It is therefore almost naturally that Jim Moisa takes on the premier event in terms of rally-raid.
With my friends, we have always been fans. Every year, we watch the race with goosebumps. We told ourselves that one day it would be us.
Not only has this day arrived and it could end in the most beautiful way with a “finisher” medal on January 17th. “There is no ranking objective there. We just want to not be forced to give up and finish the race. »
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