Ludivine Puy, Dakar Angel |
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File under Dakar Race Racing Female
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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In the Dakar race, even if you're not a fan, anyone has to respect the motorcycle riders. The race is tougher than tough! Imagine going on a 15 day trip on your motorcycle, riding 800 kilometers per day. That would tire out any of us 'mere mortals'. But now do the same ride off-road ! Sand dunes, crashing, falling, uprighting your heavy motorcycle 100 times per day, high speeds, little sleep.... you get the picture.
It's therefore that I have an extra admiration for one of the contestants, Ludivine Puy. As I've said, anyone who enters the Dakar on a motorcycle, is not only courageous, tough, but also a little crazy. But to enter it as a woman...... that takes sheer guts.
The very pretty and charming Ludivine Puy is French, 22 years old and current reigning French Enduro champion.
She's not a pro (nor is she an amateur/private entry); she works as a police officer in real life (hopefully not handing out speeding tickets to motorcyclists). She got selected by tire company, EuroMaster, for her first ever Dakar last year (she finished !).
Over the years, she has won many competitions, both in France and abroad. In 1992 she was the French MX Champion !
 Ludivine Puy (Dakar2005) (c) Motorbiker.org |
I saw her last year when I was covering the 2005 Dakar race in Barcelona {link}. Initially, I thought she was a PR person, until she put on her helmet and drove her motorcycle to the scrutineering. Boy, was I wrong.
This year, riding a Yamaha WRF450 2-track (two wheel drive), she was riding the race of her life! She was running in 35th position, when in the special of day 13, a little boy was standing on the track. Ludivine tried to avoid running him down, and at 80 kph she ran into a ditch, totalling the motorcycle, and breaking her pelvis ! Since that day another little boy was killed because he was standing on the track, her actions and reflex was admirable. She knew she was going to crash, but as she stated in an interview, "I'd rather break my pelvis than kill the boy".
It's a great pity, but understandable. She was well on her way to be the best placed female in the Dakar race ! Well, hopefully next year, we shall see her in one of the top slots.
She does not seem to have a website, so no way of leaving her a message, but we hope she recovers quickly, and hope to see her next year.
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