PRESS RELEASE – STAGE N°10

Motorcycle Category

Starting in 10th and 13th positions, Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) and Jacopo Cerutti (Aprilia) didn’t have to lead the way over the first kilometers. Cerutti completed this 10th stage in 4h52, finishing 9’42 ahead of his Yamaha rival. Mathieu Liebaert on KTM secured third place, 24’24 behind the winner. Guillem Martinez Boronat on KTM, first in the Xtreme Rider by Motul category (malle moto), finished fifth, 33 minutes behind Botturi.

Jacopo Cerutti shared his thoughts at the finish line: “I had a great stage today. I had prepared well for this special. It was really nice. I pushed hard from the start. I caught up with all the riders ahead of me who had trouble in the dunes. After the dunes, I went full throttle. Now it’s very close, and tomorrow I’ll be opening the stage. It will be the last day, and we’ll see. But right now, I’m very happy.“

In the general standings, Jacopo Cerutti’s outstanding performance reduced the gap to Alessandro Botturi to just 9 seconds after more than 3000 km of timed sections. It’s impossible to predict who will win this edition of the Africa Eco Race, as tomorrow’s final stage in Senegal will decide the outcome. Guillem Martinez Boronat (KTM) climbed two positions to third in the overall standings, 2h26 behind the leader. Behind him, Guillaume Borne is just 1’54 behind and is determined to fight for a spot on the podium.

Car & SSV Categories

In the 4-wheel category, Pierre Lafay in a Can-Am was the fastest today, completing the stage in 5h06 and finishing 8’33 ahead of overall leader Benoit Fretin. Martijn Van Den Broek in a Can-Am took third place, 38’11 behind the winner. Magdalena Zajac (Toyota Hilux) finished sixth in the car category and second in the T1 category, behind Benoit Fretin. In the SSV category, Pierre Lafay achieved a remarkable result, finishing ahead of Martijn Van Den Broek and Philippe Champigné, who was 1h41 behind Lafay.

At the finish line, Pierre Lafay said: “Toward the end, my co-driver Gilou let me loose. He said, ‘This time, drive for fun.’ He helped me a bit by calling out the notes like in a rally. We really went full speed over the last 30 kilometers. We’ll have to check the splits, but I think we managed to gain some time on our rivals.“

In the overall car standings, Benoit Fretin and his Century CR6 remain untouchable, with a 4h37 lead over Martijn Van Den Broek. In third place, Pierre Lafay trails the leader by 4h43, but he has the second spot within reach, sitting just 5’57 behind Martijn.

In the overall SSV standings, Van Den Broek leads by less than six minutes over Lafay. Anything can still happen tomorrow! In third place, Philippe Champigné, who faced major mechanical issues during stage 8, is more than 15 hours behind the leader.

Truck Category

In the truck category, Gerrit Zuurmond (Man) won the stage in 6h, ahead of the Iveco of his rival William Van Groningen, who finished with a 7’11 deficit. In the overall standings, Zuurmond holds more than a 2-hour lead heading into the decisive final stage.

Historic Category

Navigation was also challenging for competitors in the Historic category. Several vehicles got stuck in the dunes, marking a tough day for the crews of vintage vehicles. The overall standings remain unchanged, with Eric and Tom Claeys in their 1973 Toyota Land Cruiser in the lead, followed by Kurt Dujardyn and René Declercq in a Bombardier Iltis. Fabrice and Magali Morin in a Land Cruiser hold third place.

Heading to Senegal

Tomorrow, the Africa Eco Race will leave Mauritania and enter Senegal for an unprecedented final special stage of 82 km in the heart of the savanna. Navigation will be tricky, with crisscrossing tracks among the Baobabs. With narrow gaps among the top competitors, everything will be decided in this last stage. The Africa Eco Race promises a spectacular finale with nail-biting suspense until the very end!