Écoles Militaires de Bourges (Bourges Military Schools), a series of French army training school for logistics and equipment procurement, opened its doors to the puliic for the first time since 2008 over the weekend. While Leclercs, Servals, and other military hardware were the stars of the show, a Renault Kerax that ran this year’s Dakar Classic was also on site.

Fraternité Maintenance, who maintains EMB’s vehicles, invited the truck to Bourges and hosted it at their tent.

The Kerax came from Ecurie Frères d’Armes, a Classic team that fields former military vehicles for disabled French Army veterans. It was piloted by Sandra Riviere, a civilian who previously ran the 2023 Classic alongside her husband, a career soldier and team member. She was joined in the cockpit by active servicewomen Séverine Lehoux, who underwent a left femoral amputation due to bone cancer after serving in Central Africa, Lebanon, and Mali, and Aurore Vieillard, who has battled PTSD.

With Riviere driving, the #910 Kerax mainly served as a support vehicle that assisted other Classic competitors in trouble. For example, the truck towed the fellow all-women team of Barbora Holická and Lucie Engová to the Stage 3 finish. It finished 74th overall and second in the H1T.C class.

Ecurie Frères d’Armes also fielded a Peugeot P4 for Ludovic Failly and Franck Poirot, aircraft mechanics who were seriously injured in 2015 when an Greek F-16D crashed at Los Llanos Air Base where they were working. They retired after their car suffered an electrical fire.

Featured image credit: Rapha Rodrigues / FOTOP / ASO