Paris-Dunkerque – Paris-Dunkirk experienced from the inside in a Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom – Day 1, Friday May 22: Paris – Venette

Posted on by admin

Paris-Dunkirk experienced from the inside in a Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom

Paris-Dunkerque - Paris-Dunkirk experienced from the inside in a Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom - Day 1, Friday May 22: Paris - Venette

On the handlebars of his faithful Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom, our collaborator Marcos Poidebard tells us about his Paris-Dunkirk: three days of mud, paths, landscapes and encounters that will remain etched in his memory forever…. Story, photos and video.

Day 1, Friday May 22: Paris – Venette

On D-Day, May 22, 2015, wake up at 6 a.m. Am I enthusiastic, excited by the adventure ahead? Uh … it’s a little too early to feel anything: I’ll need at least two hours and a few coffees for that…

The meeting is fixed at 7:30 am at the Trocadero, where my Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom finds different trails: and, BMW GS (from the smallest to the largest),,,, etc..

that’s it, there I wake up and I quickly feel at ease. The atmosphere is insanely friendly and I am welcomed by one of the charming ladies of the organization.

– Hello and welcome ! Ready for adventure ?

We receive a fluorescent bracelet, cards with the names, photos and motorbikes of the participants, the contact details of the referents and a first aid kit.

After coffee and croissants, follows a fairly short briefing where we are given basic advice: "You will leave in groups of 5 to 8, it’s up to you to form them. At each crossing, a pilot waits for the last (OK, I tell me that every time the last risk is myself …) In the event of a serious fall, you notify the emergency services and do not move the pilot (far from me this idea!). Watch out for the exit of Paris (that, I master) and good adventure! "

I look around for another biker who has come solo in "Does anyone wanna ride with me?" and join me with Antonio and his, then Cyril who rolls in and finally Romain with a .

Paris-Dunkirk offers two types of routes to install in the GPS: adventure and extreme. Basically, the difference is that the most complicated passages in the extreme are replaced by departmental and passable paths in the adventure version. This way, the pilot who decides to do the extreme course can find himself on more technical and much mudder roads….

With my small group, we decided to ride together until the exit of Paris and then advise. Equipped for off-road with nipple tires, we cross Paris towards the Nationale 3. For my part, I have Metzeler tires (mixed Karoo 3) won in a photo competition shortly before this project, and it’s very well done !

Leaving Paris is unpleasant as usual, but as we are on our way for three days of walking, it helps to endure traffic jams. I admit that by crossing large German trails with pilots in suits and ties who were probably going to work, I experienced (almost) petty pleasure.

Here we are. The first paths and the first traps are there, and we will see it very quickly with a mini traffic jam caused by motorcycles lying in the grass … We will get to know the ruts very quickly! There, I was happy to be able to put my foot on the ground and avoid falling several times. But in front of me was the Waterloo biker.

One after another, with the motorcycle lying down. No sore, only the surprise that it starts with so much difficulty. it starts off steep! I already feel that I have a lot to learn and that I need some urgent advice to be able to finish the day! For the moment no time, it will be necessary to improvise.

I stare at the horizon, I try to ride upright and especially not to touch the front brake. In the distance, I saw a biker with a big Tenere XTZ 1200: Antonio put the bike down … A little surprised, he climbed back up without complaining and off we went! But the grass is still wet (I knew that the grass was greener elsewhere, but not that it could slide like an ice rink …), 200 meters further the blue beast leaves again on the ground. We decide to stop a bit, take our time and start over when the mind is ready.

A farmer walking past looks at us in astonishment: "you don’t have the right motorcycles, do you?" I smile and I don’t dare to contradict him: no sir, it’s not the bikes the problem but the pilots and the lack of experience on this type of terrain. We’re useless, don’t insult our motorcycles !

The route of the adventure course continues by interspersing rolling tracks and a few paths filled with stones (but who has put so many stones ?! Why?) And a few paved roads. They become the best friends of the riders’ shocks, tires and bones. The kilometers advance, fatigue sets in, but I stay focused and we advance as best we can.

After a few hours of driving, we decide to take a sandwich break at the edge of the forest. The adrenaline united the group and strangely, it’s only now that we start to get to know each other.

Romain was the lucky winner of a contest of the Moto Trail magazine and he was able to enjoy the "ride" with his Guzzi Stelvio 1200.

I admit that the more I looked at the Stelvio, the more I thought it was not going to go very far. These are things that we think about but don’t tell someone we just met! He will show me that it is a very good machine, that he is a good pilot and I took advantage of his advice. !

Antonio on his Yamaha XTZ 1200 recovers slowly with a lot of humor. We had a good laugh about our galleys … Cyril, he drives a fully equipped Versys: crash bars, hoof protectors, hand guards, TKC80 tire and … road cases !

Hats off to him, he’s a biker gentleman. He put us at ease and I was able to ask him all the questions that crossed my mind without complex … and there were many! During our trip, he even had the group arrested to come to the rescue of a horse that had escaped from its enclosure..

I have been driving behind Antonio for a while, then I decide to pass him to try another pace. I think that by going faster I will improve the balance of my bike.

I have to redouble my concentration, look far ahead when the path allows me and I move at a good speed.

Every now and then I check the headlights of the XTZ behind me. After two or three slips of my front tire, I decide to catch my breath and wait for Antonio. He’s no longer there … I hear honking. Turn around and my companion with the blue beast is lying on the ground. Antonio, smiling enough, told me to continue. His ankle hurts, but it will be okay…

Luckily, we had just passed the organization’s 4×4. He was taken care of right away and we will learn later that the ankle was fractured! Reassured by the professionalism of the organizers and in agreement with everyone, I take the road to the first crossroads where the rest of the team was waiting for me.

Seeing my mate lying down reminded me that even while riding gently, a fall can occur at any time. The day progresses, the paths pass, the departmental roads pass by and the bends too.

From time to time, we meet bikers speeding down and filled with mud. "So that’s the extreme course" I tell myself, not even jealous. The breaks follow one another and the bond settles down definitively. Guys that I didn’t know the day before have become friends to the point where we keep vanquishing !

Arriving at the first stage at Venette (60), around 7 p.m., we are not too tired and very happy to have arrived in one piece. Antonio, hospitalized, was forced to abandon, too bad. Fortunately, this will be the only serious accident of the adventure.

We are greeted by a local motorcycle club (which will be the case every evening), in this case the Rando-Trail Compiegnois (RTC). The bivouac, set up at the Venette football stadium, is simple but nothing is missing.

Everyone sets up their campaign tent, we take off our boots and the barbecue awaits us! The atmosphere is very happy and light. Most of the participants are smiling, it’s laughing everywhere, anecdotes and jokes are heard.

In the locker room, I find myself with pilots that I haven’t seen before but with whom I have fun just as much. I am surrounded by friends. They will be my best friends during these three days.

After a hearty dinner, I can no longer follow the conversations and decide to go and collapse in my tent. Personally, I love sleeping in a tent from a young age..

I am delighted, but with fatigue I had to ask for help to set up my home. And Morpheus caught up with me.

Marcos POIDEBARD

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *