Jacques: Didn’t you feel like hitting the girls when they persuaded drivers not to take them in their vehicle?
Gérard: It’s true that at the moment, we felt like shaking them up a bit, but we controlled ourselves. We still yelled a bit, and then it ended like that. We’re not going to mistreat them in front of the camera. They were women, had it been guys who did that, it would have been more violent.
Cédric: No. First of all, we do not touch women. Then, we thought it’s a game and even if they had an attitude that was far from sporty, we were not going to use violence in response.
Laura: How was your return to France? Must it have been strange to get back to your usual routines?
G: We arrived on a Friday afternoon. We had the weekend to rest, then we resumed on Monday. Actually, the routine came quickly, but it’s true that we had trouble not talking between the end of the adventure and the start of the show.
C: It’s weird at first, but mostly it’s missing the adventure. It wasn’t easy to dive back into everyday life and especially the routine. You ask yourself questions when you return, especially about your professional situation. I believe all the contestants had a reassessment. You don’t come out of Peking Express the way you went in.
Audrey: Weren’t you afraid of the food or the lodging whether it was indoors or outdoors when you see the people’s poverty?
G: We got used to not eating much so eventually the stomach shrinks. We only had one meal a day. We missed it, especially in Brazil even though we ate in the evening, at least. For sleeping, apart from in the Pantanal, there was no problem, we were safe.
C: We were not afraid because when you go there, you already expect not to sleep in four-star hotels and not to eat to your fill. We seek self-surpassing and we were served. What we missed the most were the delicacies, those little things we like to eat in France such as Nutella. The hardest part is not being able to eat what you want when you want.
Marie-Ange: How can you lose such an important envelope in a final? What happened?
G: We still don’t know what happened. Certainly, in the panic, we lost a sheet. The only explanation I have is that it was a bit of a mess between us. There was a lack of concentration. We lost it easily, but who lost it, I don’t know.
C: You’ll have to ask my father. We talked about it a few days ago, and he told me that I had lost it. I am convinced that he lost it. We had very small bags, and we had to put all the food for the final, the maps, the water bottles. So, it wasn’t easy to find space. In the rush, he very well could have dropped the sheet (laughs).
Isabelle: What was your best and worst memory?
G: The best was Stéphane’s speech at the end announcing the victory. It was magnificent. When he said “You win”, we screamed. We didn’t even let him finish the sentence. The worst was the night in the salt desert because it was minus 12. But over time, that leaves a good memory.
C: There were several beautiful memories, like when we remove the blindfold facing the bay of Rio, the match at Maracana, Lake Titicaca, and our victory of course. The worst, I think, was not being able to say goodbye to Terence and Olivia when they left. Each departure was a heartbreak but we could say goodbye to them. This wasn’t the case, so it was really hard.
Fabrice: Back home, what has changed in your perception of each other?
G: Not much in life. As for me, I become emotional more easily, I am less resentful (laughs as Cédric contradicts his father). I am also more sensitive. Regarding Cédric, nothing has changed. We went through this adventure and it’s something that is for life for both of us. We are still very close to each other.
C: Our relationship hasn’t really changed. I already knew my father by heart, I didn’t learn anything about him. I think it’s more him who learned about me, according to what he tells me, as he saw how I had become a man, rather than the opposite. My father lived up to my expectations.
