As seen in The Racecar: Exciting finishes, triumphant riders, and champions crowned at Lac Rose in Dakar – the epic conclusion of Africa Eco Race.

A ceremony preceded by the traditional 22 km long Lac Rose special going from Niokob beach to the legendary body of water where the motorcycles, cars and trucks still in the race circled. 

In the Motorcycle category the riders shone the spotlight on disabled rider Nicola DUTTO.  The bikers got behind the Italian and his two guardian angels who accompanied him throughout the rally and they let him open up and win this final timed sector. A way of paying tribute to this extraordinary sportsman who covered the almost 6,000 km of the route strapped on his KTM equipped with a roll bar protecting his legs in the event of a fall. 

After the race the first three rivers in the scratch, talian Jacopo CERRUTI on APRILA, also 1st in Multicylinders -1000 CC, his compatriot Alessandro BOTTURI,1st Veteran and Andorran Pol TARRES on YAMAHA a received the magnificent bronze trophies. 

The winners of the different categories were also rewarded, including the Swiss rider Alexandre VAUDAN 1st in – 450 CC (also 1st in the Rookie Rider Challenge By Acerbis) on a KTM, Patrice CARILLON 1st in the Motul Xtreme Rider Challenge also on a KTM, The Italian Giovanni STIGLIANO 1st in over 450 CC on HUSQVARNA, Juan PEDRERO 1st in Multi-cylinders over 1000 CC on HARLEY DAVIDSON and not forgetting the British rider Vanessa RUCK 1st female rider also on a KTM. 
Finally, all the finishing riders received a bronze medal symbolizing the feat of having managed to stay in the ranking. 

On four wheels, Frenchmen Gautier PAULIN and Remi BOULANGER were overall winners and took their SSV APACHE onto the podium to receive the two bronze trophies and also the two trophies in the SSV T3 U category. Then came the Belgians Pascal FERYN and Kurt KEYSERS, 2nd in the Rally and 1st in the 4×4 Petrol with their TOYOTA, while in 3rd position Spaniards Carlos VENTO and Carlos RUIZ MORENO drove the CAN AM to victory in T4. 

Czech driver Tomas TOMECEK was rewarded for his 5th victory in the truck category at the wheel of his TATRA. The French team  Frédéric HENRICY and Eric BERSEY won in the SSV EXTREME RACE challenge with a POLARIS, and the Dutchmen Teun STAM and Rene BARGEMAN won in 4X4 Diesel with a TOYOTA.

The Moroccan Souad MOUTKADIRI finished 1st African driver with his CAN AM, while the Italians Giulio VERZELETTI and Giuseppe FORTUNA pocketed the victory in Truck -10000 CC with their MERCEDES. 
Finally the Itaians Stefano ROSSI and Jacopo CASINI received the Experimental Vehicle trophy with a NISSAN running on Hydrogen;  Eric and Grégoire COQUIDE won the OPEN category, also with a NISSAN.

Organisers also  honoured  racing veteran Yoshimasa SUGAWARA , legend of the discipline and finisher at 83, on a vehicle built with his own hands.
 

In the Classic race Belgians Tom and Eric CLAEYS were awarded the winners’ trophy ahead of their compatriots René DECLERCQ and John DEMEESTER while Austrian Peter BRABECK-LEMATHE and the Frenchman Jean Michel GAYTE completed the podium. 
 
The ceremony at Lac Rose was also an opportunity to parade on the podium the fifty vehicles from the Auto and Motorcycle Raid to offer the participants a souvenir medal.

For the rest of The Racecar article see here.

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As seen in The Moto Station: Jacopo Cerruti clinches victory in Africa Eco Race aboard Aprilia 660 at Dakar’s Lac Rose. A thrilling triumph against Yamaha contenders.

L’Africa Eco Race s’is finished on the shores of Lac Rose in Dakar and it’ is the’ Italian Jacopo Cerruti who won the’ event on his Aprilia 660 Tuareg. He had taken the lead from the first stage and did not let go despite the forcing of the Yamaha boys, Pol Tarres and Alessandro Botturi on their 700 Tenere. Change was expected on the last difficult Mauritanian stages, to no avail. Here is the official statement of the’ultime stage in Senegal where Tarres finishes in beauty.

Cerruti wins the 2024 Africa Eco Race

Manfred Kroiss, had announced last night at the briefing that this 11th special of the’ edition 2024 would not be easy, both in terms of navigation and terrain. As often, the Sports Director of the’Africa Eco Race was right but the leader did not’a cracked and retained his advantage over the 247 km of the day.

Pol Tarres did not want to let anyone take care of S’ on this ultimate special. The hot Andorran made the powder speak on the handlebars of his Yamaha 700 Tenerated in S’adjudging the scratch 00:07:33 in front of the KTM 450 of the surprising French driver Attilio Fert, author of’a end of rally of all beauty. By taking the third place at 2 minutes and especially by ahead of his compatriot Alessandro Botturi, the’Italian Jacopo Cerruti won this 15th edition of the’Africa Eco Race and offers Aprilia a first victory on a big all-terrain rally.

The two official Yamaha riders Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarres finished 2nd and 3rd respectively at 00:06 38 and 00:18:21. Very close times after more than 4000 kilometers of special and therefore a battle of every moment for two weeks on the slopes.

Behind the three « Twin », we find the revelation of this Africa Eco Race on two wheels, namely Alexandre Vaudan. At the handlebar of’une KTM, Switzerland won not only the 450 category but also the challenge « Rookie Rider by Acerbis » reserved for drivers under 35 years old who have never participated in a rally of more than 8 days.

The category over 450 goes to the’Italian Giovanni Stigliano on HVA, 17th in the general. The first female rider is the Brit Vanessa Ruck who places her KTM in 27th position in the motorcycle classification. The first Junior, driver under 25, is the’italian Marco Menichini, 7th overall on an HVA while the first Veteran, driver over 40, n’is other than’Alessandro Botturi. A word finally on the’exploit of this African fortnight since Joan Pedrero has managed the bet to’ bring the official Harley Davidson 1250 Pan America to Dakar and especially, being ranked in 25th position. No one’y believed and yet he’a made it !

To note the quality of the motorcycle plateau this year since on 47 drivers from Monaco on December 30, last, 34 Will be classified at the’ arrival tomorrow at Lac Rose for the awards ceremony.

For the rest of The Moto Station article see here.

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As seen in The Rally.IT: Alessandro Cerutti secures APRILIA’s first triumph in Africa Eco Race 2024, conquering the challenging final stage. Explore the intense battles and thrilling victories in this off-road rally.

Manfred KROISS had announced the night before during the briefing that the eleventh stage of the 2024 edition would not have been easy, both in terms of navigation and terrain. As often happens, the Sports Director of AFRICA ECO RACE was right, but the leaders of the different categories did not waver and maintained their advantage over the 247 km of the day.

In the Motorcycle category, Pol TARRES was determined not to let anyone else take victory in this final stage. The lively Andorra rider showed his skill aboard his YAMAHA 700 Ténéré, securing the stage victory with a time of 00:07:33, ahead of the KTM 450 of the surprising French rider Attilio FERT, who achieved a beautiful finish in the rally. With third place, just 2 minutes and clearly ahead of his compatriot Alessandro BOTTURI, the Italian Jacopo CERUTTI wins this 15th edition of the AFRICA ECO RACE, giving APRILIA its first victory in a major off-road rally.

The two official YAMAHA riders, Alessandro BOTTURI and Pol TARRES, finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, with times of 00:06:38 and 00:18:21. These times were very close after more than 4000 kilometers of special stages, showcasing a fierce battle during the two-week journey on the slopes. Behind the three “Twin” riders, the revelation of this AFRICA ECO RACE on two wheels is Alexandre VAUDAN.

Riding a KTM, the Swiss won not only the 450 category but also the “Rookie Rider By Acerbis” challenge reserved for riders under 35 who had never participated in a rally lasting more than 8 days.

The over-450 category is won by the Italian Giovanni STIGLIANO on HUSQVARNA, who ranks 17th overall. The first female rider is the British Vanessa RUCK, who places her KTM in 27th place in the motorcycle rankings. The first Junior, under 25 years old, is the Italian Marco MENICHINI, 7th overall on HUSQVARNA, while the first Veteran, over 40 years old, is none other than Alessandro BOTTURI. Finally, a word on the feat of these two African weeks in which Joan PREDRERO managed to bring the official HARLEY DAVIDSON 1250 Pan America to Dakar and, more importantly, to rank 25th. No one believed it, yet he did it!

It’s worth noting the quality of the motorcycle field this year, with 34 of the 47 riders who set off from Monaco on December 30 last year set to finish tomorrow at Lac Rose for the awards ceremony.

In the Car category, Pascal FERYN and Kurt KEYSERS were determined to win this last stage. With their TOYOTA Hilux V8, the Belgians beat the Portuguese from the SSV CAN AM team, Ricardo SOUSA and Jorge BRANDAO, by 04:24, thus securing 2nd place overall and victory in the Car category. This result was a tribute to the crew that competed with Jacky LOOMANS’ former 4×4, who passed away last week after a long illness

In 3rd place in this final stage we find Pierre-Louis LOUBET and François BORSOTTO in their APACHE. A last honorable meeting for the WRC2 World Champion, who had to deal with some vehicle problems. Without them he would certainly have achieved better results than this 11th place overall. Fortunately the second SSV of this young APACHE AUTOMOTIVE team had no problems. The reliability, combined with the excellent level of performance of this new hybrid technology, allowed Gautier PAULIN and Remi BOULANGER to emerge victorious in the Car, SSV and Truck categories.

An exceptional victory for this French motocross legend who takes part in his first race behind the wheel. It is also an incredible victory for a new SSV built by a French team that had never participated in any race. Once again no one expected such a good performance, but their dominance was completed with 7 wins out of 11 stages, of which 5 for LOUBET. In the end, crew no. 260 wins the AFRICA ECO RACE with an advantage of 03:45:08 over the second, and without incurring any penalties. An impeccable performance!

In the desert giants category, Tomas TOMECEK wins, finishing 4th overall. The Czech, alone on his “old” TATRA, thus achieved his 5th victory in the AFRICA ECO RACE. He is followed by the Dutch team made up of Aad VAN VELSEN, Michel VAN VESLEN and Marco SIEMONS, who won today and are now in fifth place overall with their SCANIA. The GINAF of Cédric FERYN, Bjorn BURGELMAN and Tom DE LEEUW complete the podium of the day and the event.

In the Classic race, Tom and Eric CLAYS win the event after 27 Regularity Zones and over 1000 km of tracks, demonstrating undisputed dominance. For his 70th birthday, the Belgian driver will have the honor of climbing onto the podium with his 1986 TOYOTA BJ 73 to receive the trophy of this first edition of the AFRICA ECO RACE CLASSIC.

Today, Sunday 14 January 2024, after a final trip of 248 km to the legendary Lac Rose and a final stop on the beach for fun, the winners and finalists will take turns on the podium to receive the trophies and medals of the 2024 AFRICA ECO RACE.

Ranking 11th and final round

Absolute motion:

Partial 11th car and truck test:

Absolute car and truck:

For the rest of The Rally article see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life-changing accident, which started it all.

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As seen in The Visor Down: Vanessa Ruck has become a well-known figure in the world of adventure biking, but her biggest challenge is to come: the Africa Eco Race

The Africa Eco Race is not the most famous rally in the world, but it does follow perhaps the most famous route, generally speaking, as it aims to replicate the original Paris-Dakar rally. Vanessa Ruck will be taking part in the AER for the first time in 2024.

It won’t be Ruck’s first attempt at a motorcycle rally. In fact, she’s becoming quite experienced in the discipline, having competed in the 1000 Dunas, Morocco Desert Challenge, and Tunisian Desert Challenge, to name a few.

But the Africa Eco Race is a tough challenge on Ruck’s horizon. “My goal is to not die in the desert, and make the finish line,” Ruck said with a laugh. I spoke with her back at the end of August at the Women in Moto Show in Uttoxeter. Even then, more than four months out from the beginning of the AER, she was “having nightmares about [it].”

But, despite the anxious fear of what is to come, the AER is an important rally to Ruck. “There’s a number of reasons why I’ve been attracted to the Africa Eco Race,” she said, “primarily, [it] is really the original route of the Dakar.”

The Paris-Dakar Rally no longer has anything to do with either Paris, the French capital, or the Senegalese capital of Dakar. Security concerns led to the rally’s cancellation in 2008, and in 2009 it left its original home and shifted to South America.

Since 2020, the ‘Dakar’ has been run in Saudi Arabia.
In comparison, the Africa Eco Race begins in Monaco, and runs stages through North Africa, into Senegal, and eventually to the finish in Dakar, making it quite similar to the original race. 

The AER has “got a lot more to do with the heritage and the emotion of what we think about when we think of the Dakar,” Ruck says. “It’s 14 days, it’s 6,500km, it’s moving bivouacs, all the way down to Dakar.”

Ruck is not only a supporter of the AER’s concept, but also someone who does not seem to enjoy the concept of the modern Dakar. Not only the event itself but also the way it dominates the rally discipline. 

For the rest of The Visor Down article see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life-changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on  Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

As seen in The Kent Online: Explore the thrilling world of desert rally racing as I share insights on the Africa Eco Race 2024 with KentOnline/KMTV. Discover my charity involvement with Two Wheels For Life.

Big thanks to KentOnline/KMTV for having me.

Watch me on TV:

To get your tickets –

https://www.twowheelsforlife.org/news-listing/aer_prize_draw/

For the rest of The Kent Online article on the Africa Eco Race see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life-changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on  Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.