Farewell to a protagonist of the Dakar
The 2024 season of the Dakar Rally will begin on January 5, but unfortunately this year's edition will kick off in a climate of mourning for the passing of one of the greatest protagonists in the history of this competition. In fact, he passed away at the age of 82 Rene MetgeFrench pilot famous for three victories achieved in the car category in the 1980s and for participation in six editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The experiences and the first victory
In addition to being one of the best-known faces in the French Touring Car Championship, Metge was famous for his nickname 'Malakoff's Cowboy', partly for his passion for the cowboy hat he used to wear, and partly for the ownership of a Leyland Group dealership which was based in Malakoff, a transalpine municipality located in the Île-de-France region. It was precisely with one Range Rover who, after his first experiences at Le Mans at the end of the 1970s, achieved victory in the Dakar Rally (then known as 'Paris-Dakar') in 1981two years after its absolute debut.
The other successes
Having finished his experience behind the wheel of the Range Rover, Metge continued with Porsche, achieving two more successes with the Stuttgart company. The first arrived in 1984 with the 911, to then win the third seal in 1986this time with the 959. In addition to having taken part in two editions with trucks in 1980 and 1994, Metge also continued in the role of navigator for some compatriot drivers, including former Ferrari driver Patrick Tambay, before finally hanging up his helmet in 2007.
Not just a pilot
The Frenchman's career, however, was not limited to just being a pilot. After the death of Thierry Sabine in 1986, the latter's father summoned Metge as manager of the 1987 editions (of which he was also Director) and 1988, with his intervention which contributed to the permanence of the event also in the following years. Also organizer of other raids such as the Paris-Beijing, created another competition like theAfrica Eco Race in collaboration with Jean-Louis Schlesser and Hubert Auriol, with the main objective of maintaining the spirit of the Dakar Rally in Africa after the latter competition was moved to Latin America.
#Goodbye #René #Metge #won #editions #Dakar #Rally #FormulaPassion
