Though the 24 Hours Motos and the Dakar Rally are legendary motorsport races, they are worlds apart for the racers and drivers that tackle them. The 24 Hours Motos takes place at Le Mans at the Bugatti circuit (20-21 April 2019), a 4.185 km-circuit composed of seven right turns and four left. Dakar has been an exploration of South American tracks since 2009. Next year, the rally will take place entirely in Peru for the first time ever (6-17 January 2019). When competing on a circuit, the track rarely changes (depending upon weather conditions and the presence of debris), but in rally, the drivers take on new terrain every single day. To ensure a good showing, Hugo Clere and Romain Leloup have something in commom: they know how to decipher a track, be it asphalt or sand.

Thanks to his four participations in the 24 Hours Motos, Hugo Clere is extremely familiar with the Bugatti circuit. His marks never change and doing a lap is akin to reciting a poem he knows by heart. "At Dakar, the drivers are never in the same place and that makes things even more complicated. At Le Mans like anywhere, after 10 laps you know the circuit," he admits. The work of a speed racer is to tweak his driving to gain tenths of a second and improve his lap times. Nonetheless, at the 24 Hours Motos, the condition of the track changes little by little over the hours. "With experience you learn not to let your tires touch the curbs or the white lines during the night because the humidity makes them extremely slick. The choice of tires according to track conditions is also very important."

Though 24 Hours Motos racers have the ability to do recon at the circuit before qualifying and the race, Dakar drivers rely heavily on careful study of the Road Book, a document containing the general outline of the journey and information related to the route. It's a matter of vital routine. "All of the paths and landscapes are different. The dunes aren't alike. You're free to choose your path, it's just important to know where you're going," explains Romain Leloup.

The navigation is just as important as the driving. To participate in the Dakar Rally, or any cross-country race, drivers must have a sense of direction. Leloup adds: "It's only 70% driving. If you go the wrong way, you've messed up and lost precious time. It's not easy to learn. You have to have experience. You need to do other rallys besides Dakar to cultivate it."

Though racing is not the same at the 24 Hours Motos as it is for Dakar, there are still common denominators between them: you must adapt to the track, avoid making mistakes, always look ahead and be good at anticipating. As Romain Leloup sums it up: "On a motorcycle, one second of distraction can cost very dearly."

PHOTO: Romain Leloup, a Le Mans-based cross-country rally motorcyclist, explained to Hugo Clere, a Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki racer at the 24 Hours Motos in the FSBK (French Superbike championship), the principals and uses of a road book.