Retired since 2009, Miguel Duhamel will once again slip into his leathers to take part in the Bol d'Or Classic (BOC). For the occasion, he will team up with Didier Constant, who helped Miguel, his brother Mario, and his father, the legendary Yvon Duhamel, compete in the Bol d'Or in 1988 on a Team Honda/Winners/Ipone Honda RC30. They finished 7th.

The Bol d'Or Classic is a four-hour endurance race run in two legs; one on Friday night, the other on Saturday morning. It is reserved for racing motorcycles built before 1991, with two-rider teams consisting of one professional rider, and one amateur. The format emulates the classic endurance, but with the amateur rider providing a slight handicap, thus assuring no one runs away with an easy win.

Returning to the track, feeling the familiar sensations, and having fun are all motivating factors for Duhamel.

"I like the idea of racing at Paul Ricard in September a lot,” says the former racing champion, “It's a circuit I love. And to ride the Bol D’or with Didier is doubly interesting. It is a return to the past—28 years ago to be exact. It's going to be awesome; it's a great project.”

"My goal is not to get on the podium, even if I intend to do my best," admits Constant, "I don’t want to be an anchor for Miguel. I’ll be satisfied with an honorable performance. My goal is to give life to a dream, an achievement of which I can brag to my future grandchildren."

The two Canadians will ride a DCT Racing Team Honda RC30. Top Moto Honda, a leading Honda dealership located in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrenees, will prepare the "Dreams Come True" Honda. The dealer, under the leadership of its owner Philippe Puyo, has participated in the Bol d'Or and Le Mans 24 Hours several times, fielding bikes like the Honda RC30, RC45, VTR1000, SP2, and recently a CBR1000RR.

Technical support at the track will be provided by First On Track, the brainchild of Ludovic et Yvan Genestier specialized in organizing track days and advanced rider-training courses at prestigious MotoGP circuits throughout Europe.
 
However, this exceptional project also has a more charitable objective: To raise funds for Riders for Health. This humanitarian organization, founded in the late 1980s by Barry and Andrea Coleman in collaboration with Randy Mamola, provides motorcycles and ambulances to doctors so they can deliver medical care and first aid to rural populations in Sub-Saharan Africa, including countries like Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Gambia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

"All I have to do is to train myself and to learn to ride a little faster," quips Constant. "I have six months to get there, that should be enough, I hope. Otherwise Miguel will have to ride twice as hard to make up lost ground."

"Being fast on a motorcycle isn’t enough to win," Duhamel said in 1999, at the Daytona 200, where while on crutches he took a memorable victory ahead of Mat Mladin by a tiny margin of 0.014 seconds. "It takes the determination!"

For information, please contact:
Didier Constant
DCT Racing Team
+ 1-514-251-0565
didierconstant@me.com

To download royalty-free high-resolution images click HERE.

Photo credits: Didier Constant, Bruno Lawrence, Andrew Northcott, Photoclik.es, Henry Renaud

MIGUEL DUHAMEL

BIOGRAPHIE Date of birth: May 26, 1968 Age : 47 Citizenship: Canadian Hometown: Las, Vegas, Nevada, USA Heigth: 5’5 Weigth: NA Favorite racing number: 17 CAREER 1986/1987 — Begins his road racing career competing  in the Yamaha RZ350 Cup, Canada 1988 — Seventh position, Bol d’Or (24 Hour Endurance Race) at Paul Ricard Circuit, France. Rode a Honda/Winners/Ipone RC30 with his father Yvon and his brother Mario 1989/1992 — FIM World Endurance Championship with Team Honda France (1989), Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (1990), Team Kawasaki France (1991-1992) 1991 — Won his first Daytona 200 (Honda Camel Racing Team) 1991 — Won Bol d’Or at Paul Ricard Circuit, France, with team mates Alex Vieira & Jean-Louis Battistini for Team Kawasaki France 1992 — FIM World Endurance Champion, Team Kawasaki France 1992 —12th overall, FIM 500 Grand Prix World Championship with Yamaha Sonauto (France). Best race result : 5th at Brazilian GP 1995 — AMA Pro Athlete of the Year 1995 — AMA Superbike Champion 2004-2005   AMA Formula Xtreme champion 2007 — Wildcard ride for Gresini Honda at the USGP, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, replacing the injured Toni Elias 2012 — Won the FIM e-Power & TTXGP race at Le Mans with Barracuda Lightning Racing Team HIGHLIGHTS Five-time Daytona 200 winner (1991, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005 Five-time AMA Supersport champion (1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997) AMA winningest racer in AMA Supersport with 28 career victories Second winningest racer in AMA Superbike (32) behind Mat Mladin