Le Touquet of his dead. The 2023 edition of the Enduropale du Touquet, the most famous motorcycle sand race, was won by the British Todd Kellett. If he was properly celebrated by brandishing his cup on the podium, the Yamaha rider was undoubtedly dethroned in popularity by another of the 1,300 competitors, Lucien Cupif, aka Thierry Vigneau, better known as La Boiserie. Youtuber with millions of followers, eccentric, a little crazy around the edges, fan of the gypsys of his dead, La Boiserie was equal to himself and that is perhaps what was not to the taste of organization.
On the networks, Boiserie is a real star. He is incredibly popular, both for the crazy videos he publishes and for what he is: a guy who is outspoken, simple despite the money he makes and which he did not steal . His latest madness? Buying himself a tank whose gearbox he quickly exploded by rolling over improbable things to the delight of his fans. So, when he announced that he was participating in the Enduropale, in 2023, half of the public who had made the trip were there for him. By the admission of Pierrick Paget, motocross champion with several podiums in this race, “it was surreal,” he explains. on the MX Test channel. “He couldn’t move forward to go to the checks because there were so many people stopping him to ask him for photos or autographs,” the champion is still surprised.
A “wheeling in the convoy”
On Sunday, the day of the race, La Boiserie took the start, helmet and motorcycle equipped with GoPro. He films himself from leaving the parc ferme until the finish. Because, although he may seem like a joke to some, he nonetheless finished the race in 345th position. And because he enjoys it, and also to please the fans, he indulged several times in what undoubtedly cost him his registration in 2024: the wheeling. The first, he did during the traditional biker city tour before reaching the beach. And obviously, it did not go unnoticed, neither by the public, nor by the organization: “Monsieur Vigneau Boiserie [n’a] not respected the internal regulations applicable to any pilot”, assures 20 minutes the organization, mentioning “wheeling” in the convoy. He is also accused of “endangering other drivers and the organization of the race” and “failing to respect the rules in the service park”.
“This year, we were banned from Touquet,” laments La Boiserie in a video posted on TikTok. “I did a wheelie on the beach so they said ‘we want more of that at Le Touquet’, punishment,” he continues. In the YouTuber’s idea, it’s not just a question of wheeling. “Not once did the guy on the microphone say we were there, yet the crowd was at our stand. It frustrated them a little, I think,” he adds, hoping that the “punishment” will be lifted in 2025. “It must be embarrassing to see that in one day we made 100,000 euros in turnover,” he believes, but “it’s a shame, they are punishing themselves because when 20,000 people come to an event, they don’t only consume at my place.”
For its part, the organization affirms that the question is not there. “Thierry Vigneau Boiserie was not prevented from registering for the 2024 edition of the Enduropale. He simply did not register for the event according to the operating procedure of all pilots,” we assure 20 minutes. “He contacted us after registration closed to ask us to register him as an exception,” continues our source. And to this exemption, “the organizing committee did not wish to respond positively”, we are confirmed, in particular because of the famous wheeling.