Comfort. This is how “Pékin Express” winners Claire and Christophe felt during their victory in Istanbul, Turkey, broadcast Tuesday evening on M6. Old, she beat Rose Marie and Senzia, Parisian friends. Far from being launch favorites, they managed to show their competitors that they are formidable, even taking home € 58,730. Interview.
Kristof, when she arrives, says to Claire, “It was impossible, we couldn’t win.” Why?
Christophe. It seemed unlikely to me that the girls were so good at hiking. All men prayed for them. Myself, if you see Cinzia on the side of the road, I take it! (Laugh).
Claire. We also had a bad start. We left after fifteen minutes and had a lot of difficulties finding the cars … we thought it would be hot.
Christophe. Above all, I was convinced we had lost. So I was thinking about what I could say to my daughter to console her over our defeat.
You were an outsider and turned out to be a fighter as the race went on …
Christophe. Those who said it were the ones who did not see that I was young, beautiful, and strong (Laugh). I had a lot of willpower, after all. And the game has taken us beyond our limits. I never thought I could do all the experiments we did. I have already started spreading rumors that I will be participating in the Olympics, only to impress them if we have to do the Beijing Express again.
Claire. From day one of racing in Uganda, I was really exhausted. Even my dad almost fell for the harvest. But the more we progress, the more we progress and the more we believe in it. We knew we were the slowest husband because my dad had knee problems. We had to find rallies, sometimes go wrong, and go for a hike elsewhere … but it felt as adrenalineous as any competition.
Pierre Louis and Arnaud, the “Brothers of the Party”, believed that a six-month ceasefire had been beneficial to you, allowing you to rest. Do you agree with them?
Christophe. This allowed us to recharge the batteries, that’s for sure. However, we were among the top husbands at the end of the African stages. We were very careful about our food, and our body too.
Claire. I am still infecting bacteria in Africa. I could have held out but I had a lot of fevers and digestive issues when I got back to France. I must have been on antibiotics for two weeks. We were all at the very end of our rope. The brothers even had to stay a little longer in Ethiopia because they were sick.
Christophe, you’ve decided to donate your share of the profits to an association. Why this choice?
Christophe. I was flattered and happy that my daughter asked me to do “Beijing Express”. I took this as a gift. But what also makes you truly happy is what makes you happy. I have received my salary, the joy of being with my daughter and I know we are happy when we give. I told myself that the real value of my adventures was what I lived with my daughter, not the money I received. I felt it would spoil my joy. I decided to introduce it to Secours Catholique and other societies, in agreement with my wife.
Claire. For my part, I have ideas for projects in sports. Nothing has been decided yet but it is clearly going to be a huge boost in my life.
