“We’re almost ready!” A few days before the start of the 7th edition of the Europ’Raid, the self-baptised Vergez team 205 R’aides, made up of Camille Julian, 27, Angélina Barbier, 26, and Thomas Moreau, 23, are glue the latest sticks from their sponsors on their 205 retyped by the Jules-Raimu high school in Nîmes, the Gil d’Uchaud and Carbonaro garages in Vergèze.
Their budget of €11,000 has also been closed for some time thanks to around fifteen sponsors located between Montpellier and Marseille. Donations of sports equipment, hygiene, school, computer or games have also flowed in number, in view of this humanitarian tour of Europe, since all this will be distributed for the children along the route.
Too many donations by the way. Each crew is only allowed 70 kg per vehicle. They were generously given more than 120 kg. The surplus will therefore be transported to Ukraine. Because there will be 300 crews, or 900 participants at the national level, to set off from Belfort (Doubs) to Switzerland on Sunday July 31 after a Saturday visit to the Peugeot factories, the 205 being the brand’s legendary car.
Hence the departure of the Vergézois the previous Thursday, during the votive festival, for, Friday July 29, to pass the pre-departure checks “after two very sporty, very intense last months and a lot of stress to get everything done. But all three of us get along well. It’s not a race, we just have points to win. We hope that the car (which had taken the floods of September 14, 21, editor’s note) will withstand the shock.”
So what can be said when they have traveled, from July 30 to August 20, with arrival in Beauvais, the 10,000 km planned through twenty European countries and twelve capitals, to live from day to day without assistance, bivouac, be in contact with different populations, having to overcome the language barrier, and being received as generous donors.
Midi Libre correspondent: 06 32 32 33 98
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