Enduro21 catches five minutes with “Mr Dakar”, Stephane Peterhansel the most successful Dakar Rally competitor in history but a man very much with his roots in enduro and who claimed the 2024 Enduro Vintage Trophy outright winner medal.

A two-time enduro world champion, the Frenchman is one of the select few to have claimed victories on both two and four wheels. Dominating the 1990s with six Dakar bike wins Peterhansel has since clocked eight car victories to amass 14 in total – a record it seems unlikely anyone else will come close to.

Roll back a bit in the huge list of achievements and you’ll see Monsieur Dakar has French Enduro Championship titles and a record nine victories at the French Classic Trefle Lozerien.

Needless to say then this guy can ride a bike a bit but after all these years in the cars, you’d excuse him a ride out for the hell of it at the 2024 FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy. Not a bit of it as Stephane, finally able to fit the EVT into his busy schedule, set about topping the individual scratch results from day one.

Do not be deceived by this classic enduro. Sure, many of the 400-plus riders are there for the crack and to wheel out their old pride and joy. But at the top of the timesheets it is very competitive and the littered with former champions form many countries.

Enduro21 catches five with Stephane to find out more about his return to two-wheels an what it means to ride the classic bikes at this increasingly popular event.

Hi Stephane, it’s great to see you here and finally you can make it fit into your schedule...

Stephane Peterhansel: “No, it has not always been possible. I tried to find the time to race the last two years  and it has not been possible. But this year I’m a little bit more free with my calendar and racing with the car so we made it happen. I try always to be here because it’s a really nice event with a good atmosphere nice people, nice tests and I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”

The event must be special for you because this takes you back to the days where you were riding enduro?

“Yeah, it’s pretty special and really nice because we fight now with the same guys that I fought with 25 years ago. I didn’t see some of these guys since 20 years or more so it’s really cool.

“But the thing is I like also to race for without pressure because in my career I race so many times with a lot of pressure, you know, to win. But this event always for me is just for fun, just for the pleasure and this is really cool.”

Tells us a bit about your team. You’re not in the main trophy category but riding with friends from Switzerland?

“Well, I planned to do it with my wife and one of my friends from Switzerland but my wife had a crash of two weeks ago training with motorcycle so now we I decided to change to another friend.

“It’s really what I wanted to do. To ride with my friends with no pressure of the national team or something like that, just with my friend or my wife but no pressure.”

Can you tell us a bit about your bike. Why you are here on the ’81 IT 250 Yamaha?

“For me when we ride a vintage motorcycle I want to really use an old motorcycle. That means no liquid cooling, no disc brakes or no mono shock, you know? That means this is the only a possibility with a Yamaha. It is the same category as the twin shocks but with the cantilever rear suspension.

“I don't try to find the best bike for the best result but I want to ride real vintage motorcycle and my brand has been Yamaha since always so this is the solution.”

And this new coefficient rule helps to level the playing field for the results don’t you think?

“Yes, this helps to level the field because there are bikes from many years and riders from many different ages. We need to make the end of the race but it’s good to make a small adjustment because it’s not normal that the winner of the race overall is a young guys with a modern motorcycle.”

We have 430 riders from 16 different nations at the Vintage Trophy, the event is getting more important…

“I think in the different countries vintage starts to grow. For sure here in Italy it’s really a nation of enduro in the past with a lot of history. I have a feeling it’s getting more important with more riders and with a good organisation so the level starts to be a little bit higher than before.

You can say this event is becoming a must-do…

“Yeah, exactly. Also it’s not very often that we can do a race not for the individual so much. We can do it by nation but also with the Vase or club so you are with friends on the start and this is part of it but with some spirit of team. It’s good to be here.”

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi