Dakar 2004：運動員的精神

二十九歲，來自法國的私人參賽車手 David Casteu 和達卡拉力賽大師 Fabrizio Meoni 間的感人故事。運動家精神完美的詮釋。原文待譯。

新聞來源：DUST Digest 2629 期 David Casteu, 29 year old privateer, 30th overall, stopped to help Fabrizio Meoni yesterday, on stage 7. Meoni had been waiting 1h15 for someone to give him a tyre tube at km 580.

Casteau: “As a biker, I can’t imagine not stopping. I hate the idea that many didn’t. I saw him far ahead and at first I thought he had fell, then I saw pieces of bib mousse and immediately understood. Meoni told me to carry on and not lose time. But I couldn’t do that. He was devastated. In 5 minutes and with the help of Cyril Raynal who also stopped, the problem was solved. Too bad I didn’t get there earlier”.

For many on the Dakar, Meoni is more than just a top rider. “I would have done it for any other biker but Fabrizio is really a master, my hero. He started as a privateer, like me. He has a bike shop, like me. But most of all, he is very human. He’s the only one that comes to see the privateers after a stage and talks to us. We never see the others”.

This state of mind is one of the reasons that push Casteu to ride the Dakar. “When I go to the Morocco or Tunisia rallies, it’s to win it (winner in Tunisia in 2003). Here it’s for the adventure”. This year he even bought a special bike for the Dakar. “First of all it’s a Cagiva because I didn’t want to have a KTM like the others. But most of all, it’s the bike that belonged to Edi Orioli when he won the 95 rally. I payed 30 000 francs for it and then added 20 000 to restore things. It’s a 900cc that is perfect for the race because it’s solid. When you have no assistance it helps”.