Road rallies – First statements by Julien Toniutti on his release from the hospital –

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First statements by Julien Toniutti when he left the hospital

Road rallies - First statements by Julien Toniutti on his release from the hospital -

40 days after his big fall on the penultimate stage of his very first Dakar, Julien Toniutti was released from the hospital this afternoon and is about to resume normal activity, despite memory and arm problems. broken. Questions answers.

We know that in terms of, the drafting of MNC has two favorites: (the only biker engaged on the) and Julien Toniutti (road rallies, and beginners at)…

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After his huge fall in the, Julien is finally released from the hospital with morale … and a series of questions and answers below.

40 days after the accident, how are you ?

Julien Toniutti : The fall was severe (head trauma with cerebral hematoma, fracture of the orbital plateau and several internal traumas in the abdomen which required four days of artificial coma and 40 days of hospitalization, Editor’s note), but now everything is back in place slowly and all is well. I still have memory problems and my right arm is broken. The different post-operative examinations and the different rehabilitation needs made me tour the hospitals of Lyon (Villefranche, Trevoux, Saint Genis-Laval and Lyon Croix-Rousse). Today, I am on the right track. The hardest part is now behind !

"It was passing, it was beautiful!"

What do you remember from this experience ?

Julien Toniutti : I remember that I am very lucky to be still here, and also very lucky to have good people around me. They will recognize each other. During the accident, they mobilized and coordinated with ASO, the organizer of the Dakar, to deal with what was important and not let themselves be polluted by what was not. I also remember this crazy bet of the "Road to Dakar" project: to go from the most extreme road race (the Tourist Trophy) to the most extreme off-road race (the Dakar). It was a first! The entire 2018-2019 season has been adapted in this sense. Until then, everything had been respected: finisher at the Merzouga Rallye, French record at the Tourist Trophy, 5th title of French road rally champion … We were almost there! As we say in the motorcycle world: "it was fine, it was beautiful!"

Road rallies - First statements by Julien Toniutti on his release from the hospital -

So a big thank you to Moraco, SGR, Team 2B, Nomades Racing and all my road partners who have followed me in this off-road adventure. Thank you also for all the messages of support that I have received since the fall. In a hospital bed time is long, so all those fan posts helped keep my spirits up.

Until the accident, how did your 1st Dakar go? ? 

Julien Toniutti : On the first days in Peru, I left slowly and carefully because I wanted to keep the flow and the "juice". At the beginning it was trying, I fell in the technical passages of the dunes and I had to raise the bike several times a day … Then I found the right feeling and good sensations. It was getting better and better, I was able to pick up some pace. After fatigue took over and then … patatra…

Road rallies - First statements by Julien Toniutti on his release from the hospital -

What struck you the most in Peru?

Julien Toniutti : Three things really marked me. First, the ordeal. The difficulty is there, it is real. The requirement is everywhere. You have to be good at navigation, technical in the sand and above all very, very enduring. To do the Dakar on a motorcycle, you have to have a very good physique. This is a necessary key factor. It was the hardest race I have done. A stage is the equivalent of a Paris-Lyon special via the paths and the dunes, followed by a return route by road. And that’s it every day! In the special, you have to be focused on navigation, way-points, obstacles, dune traps … Nervously, it’s intense. On the road links the motorbike vibrates, you drive faster. With speed, the helmet visor pulls on the necks. The accumulation of days and kilometers wears out. We sleep little and badly. This race forces you to step out of your comfort zone. By the third day, I was in pain all over. It’s tough, really. The Dakar is not the most dangerous race, but certainly the most physical. Of the 137 entered on motorcycles, only 75 reached the finish line. It was an elimination race.

"Far from your comfort zone"

Second, the organization and the paddock: everything is huge and there are people everywhere! ASO staff, journalists, TV, factory teams, top drivers, amateurs, mechanics, technical staff, medical staff … And every day, the caravan moves. In short, it’s a huge machine. On the bivouac, in the evening, everything is very big. It could be impersonal because it is so big, but it remains human. There are pilots who help each other. I was able to talk to a few top drivers, those who drive very quickly and who take the most risks (Petherensel, Loeb …), and everything was done easily. After the accident, Xavier de Soultrait sent me a message. During step 7, I had a technical problem. The little buzzer that indicates the limited speed zones no longer worked. I found myself a little above the authorized speed in certain passages. At the end of the stage, I risked a fine or penalties. I was able to discuss it with the ASO staff. Until this incident, I had validated all the waypoints and respected all the zones at reduced speed. After checking the buzzer failure, they understood the situation and everything is back to normal. 

Road rallies - First statements by Julien Toniutti on his release from the hospital -

Third, the public and the reception of Peruvians. In the beginning there were thousands and thousands of people! We hadn’t started the Dakar yet, when a competitor told me "I can go home. I haven’t started, but I have already signed so many autographs that it’s as if I ‘had already won the race ". I was amazed by the public in Peru. It was nice, it creates good memories. It was really a beautiful moment.

"I will not be doing the 2019 French road rally championship"

What is the program for the rest of the season ?

Julien Toniutti : Indeed, we will have to adapt the coming season. First of all, I will not be doing the French road rally championship in 2019. Rallying is my discipline, I started road rallying more than ten years ago. I have known several generations of pilots (Nuques, the Derrien brothers, Langlois and the other Corsican pilots, Filleton, Fassouli, etc.). I have fond memories of it, it is the discipline that has brought me the most. In return, I tried to shed some light on it when I could because the rally people are great, they deserve it. The volunteers, the organizers, the participants are all passionate. But the championship starts in a month, at the end of March. For me, the timing is really too short to be ready for the first rallies of the season. I’m just getting out of 40 days in hospital. And then I already have five titles, so maybe it’s time to take a step back. I will surely come back, just for fun and do some freelancing with quirky projects. At the Rallye des Volcans in 2017, I rode in a duo with the Boss of EMC, François Speck, who has been blind for 25 years. Aurelien Ranea from Moto Journal covered the adventure. Everyone was happy: my partners, the media, the organizers, the public … It was great! In short, this year, I would like to redo and share a project of this type. I already have an idea. We’ll see… 

Road rallies - First statements by Julien Toniutti on his release from the hospital -

For the Tourist Trophy, today I am not in a position to go back! It’s dangerous enough when all the preparation is done under optimal conditions, so it would be really stupid to go without being at 100% of my capacity. Will I be at 100% in three months? I do not know. We’ll see ! Let’s say that there is a 10% chance that I will be at the Tourist Trophy in 2019. My priority is to come back in the best possible conditions, physically and mentally. I’m lucky to be still here, so you have to put into perspective whether I have to do a clean season or a transition season with only a few races. Finally, on the sidelines of motorcycle competition, I also have other activities (graduate motorcycle instructor, he supervises motorcycle rides and is a consultant for a video game, Editor’s note). So I will be able to devote more time to them to move them forward.

To be continued on MNC: stay connected !

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