Offroad Cracks: Africa Eco Race 2024 The Real Dakar. Stage 12 Final Report
As seen in The Offroad Cracks: Experience the thrilling conclusion of AFRICA ECO RACE 2024. Champions crowned, tributes paid, and extraordinary moments on the legendary Dakar route.
This Sunday, the 14th. January 2024, as the tradition since the founding of the AFRICA ECO RACE, ended the 15th. Edition at Lac Rose in Dakar. A real celebration: This parade of winners and finishers on the podium was organized by the Senegalese Auto Moto Federation, the host organization of this event. The ceremony was preceded by the traditional special test on Lac Rose, a 22 km route from Niokob Beach to the mythical lake, where motorcycles are still in the race, Cars and trucks completed the route.
A last honorable fight, but it surprises every year. In the motorcycle category, all drivers of the AFRICA ECO RACE 2024 decided to honor one of them, the disabled driver Nicola DUTTO. To this end, the bikers followed the Italian and his two guardian angels, who accompanied him throughout the rally so that he could open and win this last sector shown.
A tribute to this extraordinary athlete, who has traveled almost 6,000 km of the route, strapped onto his KTM, equipped with a roll cage that protects his legs in the event of a fall. After the race, the three best drivers of the overall standings, the Italian Jacopo CERRUTI on APRILA, also first in the multi-cylinder race -1000 CC, his compatriot Alessandro BOTTURI, also first veteran, and the Andorran Pol TARRES on Yamaha, magnificent bronze trophies.
Afterwards, winners were rewarded in various categories, including the Swiss Alexandre VAUDAN first in the class under 450 CC, also first in the Acerbis Rookie Rider Challenge on KTM, Patrice CARILLON first in the Motul Xtreme Rider Challenge on KTM and the Italian Giovanni STIGLIANO first in the class over 450 CC CC on HUSQVARNA, the Spaniard Juan PEDRERO 1. in the multi-cylinder over 1000 CC on HARLEY DAVIDSON, not to mention the British Vanessa RUCK, the first female driver on KTM. Finally, all drivers who reached the goal received a bronze medal that symbolized performance to remain in the ranking.
The French Gautier PAULIN and Remi BOULANGER, overall winners, were logically the first to place their SSV APACHE on the podium on four wheels, to receive the two bronze trophies and the two trophies in the category SSV T3 U.
Next followed were the Belgians Pascal FERYN and Kurt KEYSERS, second in the rally and first in the 4 × 4 petrol category on their Toyota, while the Spaniards Carlos VENTO and Carlos RUIZ MORENO also led the CAN AM to victory in T4 in third place. The Czech Tomas TOMECEK was rewarded with his TATRA for his fifth victory in the truck category.
The French Frédéric HENRICY and Eric BERSEY emerged as winners from the SSV EXTREME RACE Challenge on POLARIS, the Dutch Teun STAM and Rene BARGEMAN won in 4 × 4 Diesel on TOYOTA, Moroccan Souad MOUTKADIRI was the first African driver to finish the race with her CAN AM, while the Italians Giulio VERZELETTI and Giuseppe FORTUNA won the category Truck -10000 CC on his MERCEDES.
Finally, the Italians Stefano ROSSI and Jacopo CASINI received the Experimental Vehicle Trophy on a hydrogen-powered NISSAN, while Eric and Grégoire COQUIDE won the OPEN category, also on a NISSAN. Not to forget the honor of racing veteran Yoshimasa SUGAWARA,a legend in the discipline and finisher at the age of 83 driving a vehicle that he built himself. In the classic race, the Belgians Tom and Eric CLAEYS received the winner’s cup in front of their compatriots René DECLERCQ and John DEMEESTER, while the Austrian Peter BRABECK-LEMATHE and the Frenchman Jean Michel GAYTE completed the podium.
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