AFRICA RACE 2024 - PODIUM AT LAC ROSE

Africa Eco Race 2024

Submitted on Thu, 01/18/2024 - 18:19

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CLOSING MOMENT OF THE AFRICA ECO RACE 2024

This Sunday, January 14, 2024, as tradition dictates since the creation of the AFRICA ECO RACE, the 15th edition concluded at Lac Rose in Dakar. A true celebration, this parade of winners and finishers on the podium was organized by the Senegalese Auto Moto Federation, the host organization for this event. The ceremony was preceded by the traditional special stage at Lac Rose, a 22 km stretch from Niokob Beach to the mythical lake, where motorcycles, cars, and trucks still in the race completed the circuit. A final honorable battle that, however, surprises every year.

In the Motorcycle category, all the riders of the AFRICA ECO RACE 2024 decided to honor one of their own, the handicapped rider Nicola DUTTO. To do this, the bikers followed the Italian and his two guardian angels who accompanied him throughout the rally, allowing him to open and win this final timed sector. A way to pay tribute to this extraordinary athlete who covered almost 6000 km of the course strapped to his KTM equipped with a roll cage protecting his legs in case of a fall.

After the race, the top three overall riders, Italian Jacopo CERRUTI on APRILA also 1st in Multicylinders -1000 CC, his compatriot Alessandro BOTTURI also 1st Veteran, and Andorran Pol TARRES on YAMAHA, received magnificent bronze trophies. Subsequently, winners in different categories were also rewarded, including Swiss Alexandre VAUDAN 1st in under 450 CC, also 1st in the Acerbis Rookie Rider Challenge on KTM, Patrice CARILLON 1st in the Motul Xtreme Rider Challenge on KTM, Italian Giovanni STIGLIANO 1st in over 450 CC on HUSQVARNA, Spaniard Juan PEDRERO 1st in Multicylinders over 1000 CC on HARLEY DAVIDSON, not forgetting the British Vanessa RUCK, the first female rider on KTM. Finally, all finishing riders received a bronze medal symbolizing the feat of staying in the rankings.

On four wheels, Frenchmen Gautier PAULIN and Remi BOULANGER, overall winners, logically were the first to place their SSV APACHE on the podium to receive the two bronze trophies and the two trophies in the SSV T3 U category. Next were the Belgians Pascal FERYN and Kurt KEYSERS, 2nd in the Rally and 1st in the 4x4 Petrol category on their TOYOTA, while in 3rd position, Spaniards Carlos VENTO and Carlos RUIZ MORENO also led the CAN AM to victory in T4.

Czech Tomas TOMECEK was rewarded for his 5th victory in the truck category driving his TATRA. Frenchmen Frédéric HENRICY and Eric BERSEY emerged victorious in the SSV EXTREME RACE challenge on POLARIS, Dutchmen Teun STAM and Rene BARGEMAN won in 4x4 Diesel on TOYOTA, Moroccan Souad MOUTKADIRI finished as the first African female rider with her CAN AM, while Italians Giulio VERZELETTI and Giuseppe FORTUNA clinched victory in the Truck -10000 CC category on their MERCEDES. Finally, Italians Stefano ROSSI and Jacopo CASINI received the Experimental Vehicle trophy on a NISSAN powered by Hydrogen, while Eric and Grégoire COQUIDE won the OPEN category, also on NISSAN. Also, not to forget to honor the race veteran Yoshimasa SUGAWARA, a legend in the discipline and finisher at 83, driving a vehicle he 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 Frenchman Jean Michel GAYTE completed the podium.

The ceremony at Lac Rose also featured a parade of around fifty vehicles from the auto and motorcycle raid on the podium to present participants with a souvenir medal.

The final highlight of the AFRICA ECO RACE 2024 was the group photo of the 160 members of the organizing team and service providers. Like many competitors, all pledged to be present for the 2025 edition!