Walter Röhrl, the "rally giant" twice world champion (1980 and 1982), is now 69 years old. And he's there for the curves…
Methodical, disciplined and terribly fast. Walter Röhrl was one of the first rally drivers to adopt a method of working and training beyond 'pure and hard' driving. At a time when it was relatively common to see riders smoking a cigarette before starting a stage, Röhrl was already paying attention to the smallest details of his diet – in other words, a true athlete at a time when riders asserted themselves above all for his natural talent, giving little importance to training methodologies outside of rallies.Today, at the age of 69, perhaps it was this discipline that earned him the excellent physical shape he still has – even today, wherever he is, Walter Röhrl does not give up taking a long bike ride every day.
Speaking of bicycles, I'm sure you know all the details of the career of this 1.88m tall «rally giant» – otherwise, check it out here – so let me not repeat what you already know and tell you an episode that I don't is very well known but that says a lot about the personality of Walter Röhrl. This episode was told to me by Domingos Piedade, the «Mister AMG» – another name that needs no introduction.
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Domingos Piedade invited a few years ago (not many…) the German pilot to come to Portugal, to participate in an event at the Estoril Autodrome. Röhrl only made two demands: having a bicycle available and having lunch at a certain restaurant in Cascais (his favorite). These two demands having been satisfied, Walter Röhrl came to Portugal.
Now things get interesting… Röhrl arrived at the Estoril Circuit, got in the car, took 3 laps of the Portuguese track and on the second lap he had already beat ALL(!) the drivers who had been there for several days (!) professionals). He got out of the car, spoke humbly with those present and went for a bike ride through the Serra de Sintra. Simple isn't it? For the predestined yes…