End of race for the Monegasque sisters. This Thursday evening, Charlotte and Sarah were eliminated from the fifteenth season of Beijing Express following a final duel opposing them to Jean-Claude and Axel. Despite their handicap, the two candidates had managed to avoid the last place but the grandfather and his grandson decided to face them. For 20 Minutesthey come back to the difficulties encountered during this stage as well as the hateful comments of which they are the target on social networks. “We just counterbalanced an alliance not to go out and continue our adventure”, justify Charlotte and Sarah.
What was the most difficult handicap? The extra passenger or the orange juice?
Sarah : This is quite misleading. When we saw the oranges, we thought it would be easier. But it’s true that we may have underestimated this handicap a little at first glance. The citrus press was something that came out of I don’t know where, it was very complicated. Especially since we might not hurry until the drivers accepted, so they grew impatient. This handicap turned out to be more complicated than the first one.
Charlotte : Above all, we wasted a lot more time. It happens five or ten minutes per juice pressing. Sarah had taken the fold, she was breaking records on her own at the end! In the last, she managed to do it in three minutes, it was a machine!
Despite your handicap, you do not finish in last place and you are chosen by Jean-Claude and Axel for the final duel. Do you understand their decision?
Charlotte : In other seasons, we had already seen pairs choose opponents because of their handicap. It is sure that we have more chances of winning a final duel when we are free. Both of us thought that to be fair, we would never have taken someone with a disability. I’m not saying one option is better than another. Everyone plays with their cards but for fairness, we wouldn’t have done it. But that’s part of the game.
Is strategy an important factor in Beijing Express ?
Sarah : To be very sincere, we lived our adventure without talking regarding strategy. We were really there for the adventure but we understood that there was a male alliance in our season. Unfortunately, we had to make a reluctant choice the week before because I really didn’t want to choose Axel and Jean-Claude.
Charlotte : The problem is that three pairs made an alliance and two pairs did not.
Sarah : Yes, we found ourselves in the minority with Jérémy and Fanny. We mightn’t choose each other in the final duel otherwise we knew that one of us would leave. The others had made an alliance so we had to try to protect ourselves, otherwise we would leave.
Last year, Rose-Marie and Cinzia were the targets of social networks. This year, it feels like it’s falling on you…
Sarah : I have the impression that we became a target from the moment no one understood our choice of the final duel. We know why we chose them, we tried to remain as fair as possible. Indeed, I have the impression that we were looking for a reason to hate us.
Charlotte : This is what Arlette and Caroline suffered in the previous episode.
Sarah : Arlette and Caroline took it seriously two weeks ago, the same for us last week. We imagine it will continue…
Charlotte : Which still spoils us a little the pleasure of the adventure that we lived, the side of surpassing oneself.
Sarah : In our speech, Charlotte says that we choose Jean-Claude and Axel so that a woman goes the furthest. Out of context, we do not understand but as there is an alliance of men, we want to protect each other. But these are just women who send us ultra-nasty messages. These are all-out insults, it’s still mind-blowing! We just counterbalanced an alliance not to go out and continue our adventure.
Charlotte : Afterwards, we don’t want to have to justify ourselves, we let it flow. We know why we made the adventure. To be insulted when we have experienced something crazy for these reasons, it is true that it is a bit annoying.
Was the return to reality following filming brutal as you feared?
Sarah : Yes, it’s very violent because you go from crazy adrenaline, to running in all directions, to meeting incredible people, to being cut off from the world. When we come back, we find that our life is a little bland and we quickly want to go on a trip once more.