The road is still long for Millavois Jean-Rémy Bergounhe. A.S.O/Fotop (V. Rodrigues)
The Aveyronnais is competing in the race for the seventh time and has been moving up the rankings in recent days.
Some know him as the boss of the Finadorm group, which today employs more than 1,200 people throughout France. His name is no stranger to the columns of Midi Libre, who was elected entrepreneur of the year for the Occitanie region last October. You may have also seen him on the list of Aveyronnais who carried the Olympic flame last spring.
Every year since 2019, he escapes for two weeks a year, in January, to travel the deserts on four wheels. At 61, Millavois Jean-Rémy Bergounhe has been in his seventh Dakar for a few days, with the goal of finishing on the 17th.
Artisan stuntman
It seems that Jean-Rémy has had several lives. The Aveyronnais first dedicated a few years to car stunts in the 80s, not hesitating to put his vehicle on two wheels to put on a show. Holder of a CAP in carpentry, he was 20 years old when he launched his first company.
Forty years later, he is invested in 11 different companies, mainly in the bedding sector. A great success that today allows him to satisfy his passion for rally-raid. And to build bridges between his sporting and professional lives. Because “on the Dakar, as in the business world, you have to have a taste for risk, determination”, he comments.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000The one who comes “to seek adrenaline” to the Dakar has participated in all the editions held in Saudi Arabia since the race moved there in 2020. Today, he can be found in the buggy of the French team MD Rallye Sport, based in Normandy.
A thoughtful choice, because“You don't do anything without the right mechanics and the right team. You have to have a professional approach on the Dakar. It's a test that is also played out before you start”. In rally-raid as in business, you have to know how to arm yourself to succeed.
Places gained
Mechanical problems on his Optimus Evo 5 caused the Millavois to lose just under an hour in the first stage, which was considered difficult by part of the bivouac. Since then, Jean-Rémy and his co-driver from Tarn-et-Garonne Pascal Larroque have been working hard. They gained another ten positions in the general classification this Wednesday, moving up to 57th place, 34th in Ultimate.
The road will still be long to Shubaytah. Nearly 500 kilometers are again on the program this Thursday. The caravan will leave AlUla to reach Ha'il, where it will enjoy a well-deserved day of rest on the 10th.
Before heading towards the Empty Quarter desert, the largest uninterrupted expanse of sand in the world. Jean-Rémy hopes to be there. Reaching the finish line remains an accomplishment in an event as demanding as the Dakar. Even if the duo of vehicle #246 does not hide it: a Top 20 in the Saudi sand would be the icing on the cake.