Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger

Stéphane Peterhansel has won the Dakar Rally a total of 14 times. The Frenchman has won six times in the saddle of a motorcycle and eight times at the wheel of a car. And he continues to burn with passion for the cross-country classic.

Challenges have been the linchpin for Stéphane Peterhansel since he was a child. At the age of eight, his father, a motocross racer, gave him his first motorcycle. At the age of 18, the top talent competes in his first championship with an enduro machine and becomes the champion straight away. In 1988, when Peterhansel was 22, he made his Dakar debut as a factory driver. Although 18th place is not at all to his standard, he now knows for certain: “This is my race. And now I want to win it!”

He managed that a total of 14 times between 1991 and 2021. Since then, many things have changed at the Dakar Rally. After its beginnings in Europe and Africa in 1979, it was staged in South America from 2009 until 2019 and has had its third stage in Saudi Arabia since 2020. Even for record winner Peterhansel, time has never stood still. Since 1999, after his sixth Dakar victory on a motorcycle, he has been taking part in the mother of all cross-country rallies in cars. His Dakar record so far includes eight victories on four wheels.

The experienced record holder expects a challenging route for the 2024 Dakar Rally. “The stages are a little longer than before. The endless sea of dunes in the Empty Quarter is particularly tough, both in terms of the terrain and navigation,” says Peterhansel. “It will be a very long rally with 14 days of competition.

It wasn’t until 2020 that off-road motorcyclist Edouard Boulanger became a co-pilot. The Frenchman took over this role alongside Stéphane Peterhansel from his wife Andrea. The new driver pairing won the 2021 Dakar Rally on their first attempt.

On a motorcycle, he was drawn out onto the world’s great cross-country rally circuits. “But I never had the talent and skills that Stéphane has,” admits Edouard Boulanger frankly. Nevertheless, the two got along particularly well when they were still competitors on two wheels. Like Peterhansel, Boulanger is fascinated not only by driving and technology, but also by what nature has to offer along the marathon routes. “No matter where the Dakar Rally takes place, it takes you to fascinating places that you don’t get to see with your own eyes as a tourist and usually not as a local either.”

Edouard Boulanger earned a good reputation in the marathon industry, particularly as a coach for young motorcycle riders in the service of a factory team. “I taught them how to use a wide variety of navigation systems, but also how to use a roadbook correctly and effectively.”