Andrea Peterhansel is a phenomenon: a positive force and an elite rider. She has taken part in 11 Dakars, including six in the motorcycle category and one in the truck category, as well as more than 70 international rallies. She also knows the desert very well, having fallen in love with it during a six-month trip to Africa with the Yamaha XT 500, and has competed several times in the Rallye de Tunisie and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The Ténéré Spirit Expérience program is only strengthened by having her on the team as Sport Manager.
Andrea, what’s your role in the Ténéré Spirit Experience program?
Andrea Peterhansel: My main role is at competitive races. I’m there to interpret and apply the regulations in collaboration with the race director and the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme). For example, I double check any penalties and take note of riders’ comments. I consult with race management, study how the situations I’ve noted relate to the regulations and, if any infringements are committed, I take charge of lodging a protest. My second task is to manage the roadbooks, in particular the interpretation of the navigation. I work with the riders in the morning on this subject and calculate the timings, for example the times at which they must start or resume the special stage. And finally, I’m in charge of our race strategy with Marc Bourgeois.
What is it like to see customers joining the team and interacting with the professional riders?
Andrea Peterhansel: During the Africa Eco Race, I saw customers living their dream. I was really impressed by Patrick. He’s a slightly older rider, he was there every day, his eyes shining with passion, living out the dream of his life! The clients we support make big progress with their riding skills whilst exploring magnificent landscapes.
They experience the desert in a unique way, exploring trails, dunes and mountains in all their varieties. I think they really benefited from being integrated into the official team. They had direct contact with the top riders and regularly exchanged ideas with them. They probably wouldn’t have imagined sharing their experience with the likes of Pol Tarrés and Alessandro Botturi.
I also shared the experience with them myself over those two weeks. I saw them talking to the mechanics and asking our engineers for technical information. They really were part of the team, and everyone very much appreciated that.
How do you see the future?
Andrea Peterhansel: I’m ultra-motivated by the sporting aspect of the adventure: the victories, this desire to win, to put together all the little parts of the puzzle, putting everything into it so that, in the end, we can take first place. We’re an official team with two official riders, and of course our aim is to win the rallies we take part in.
I also like the innovative concept of integrating customers into the official team. It’s a totally new approach that I think will serve as an example to other brands. It’s an opportunity you can’t find anywhere else. Really nowhere else. The rally formats which we compete in, with these Twin-Cylinder bikes and in this Raid category, allow customers to experience the adventure as a journey, a real feeling of discovery, without the stress of the stopwatch, but with all the safety that allows them to be calmer during the race. They experience the race as if they were amongst the elite riders, but at their own level, and in a reassuring atmosphere that allows them to live out their dreams. Seeing their enjoyment and satisfaction first hand really motivates me to be involved, to keep the concept alive and to improve it.
