After skipping the 2024 Dakar Traditional, Ecurie Frères d’Armes will make their return in 2025 with their flagship 1990 Peugeot P4 joined by a brand new help truck piloted by an all-woman crew.
The crew specialises in fielding previous army automobiles in cross-country rallies pushed by members of the French Armed Forces. Mickaël Ranchin and Philippe Robert débuted the crew on the 2023 Dakar Traditional, the place they completed forty-second total; Ranchin was wounded by an anti-tank mine whereas serving in Operation Barkhane in Mali, whereas Robert is a veteran who misplaced his leg in a bike accident. Crew house owners Emmanuel and Sandra Rivière additionally raced the Traditional in a 1983 ALM ACMAT TPK truck that completed seventieth.
Though the Dakar Traditional is reserved for automobiles constructed earlier than 1999, each the Peugeot P4 and ACMAT TPK proceed to see army use right this moment. The crew didn’t specify what kind of truck the all-female crew would use, although the ACMAT is in fact anticipated to be an choice. Ecurie Frères d’Armes plans to have each veterans and spouses of army personnel on the truck’s crew.
“Constructing on this success and the expertise gained, our volunteers have set themselves the purpose of repeating this challenge in January 2025, opening it to a bigger variety of beneficiaries,” begins an announcement from the crew. “Furthermore, with a view to counterbalance a male crew, it appeared acceptable to provide an opportunity to a feminine crew. To high all of it off, it was essential to share this extraordinary human journey with as many individuals as potential with a view to contribute to the popularity of the reason for the wounded.
“As well as, our crew has intentionally chosen to deal with three principal areas: offering psychological assist as early as potential to accompany the wounded from the start of the journey preparation, adopting an eco-responsible strategy within the preparation and implementation of the occasion, and interesting the feminine crew on an actual racing truck.
“To do that, some personal or institutional companions have already renewed their assist or are making ready to take action, whereas others have simply joined the journey with enthusiasm. We warmly thank them, and all will quickly be individually recognised. Nevertheless, the highway forward is lengthy, and time is operating out if we need to safe our participation.”
Whereas there have been groups on the Dakar Rally the place each the motive force and co-driver are girls, there are solely two situations the place this is applicable to all three members of a truck. The newest occasion got here in January’s race when Anja Van Loon, Flooring Maten, and Marije van Ettekoven completed twelfth within the Truck class. Twenty years prior, Véronique Jacquot completed twenty-ninth on the 2004 Paris–Dakar Rally alongside Géraldine Brucy and Uta Baier.
Ecurie Frères d’Armes is at present specializing in refurbishing the Peugeot’s chassis to take away rust.
