As 2023 draws to a close the participants in the 15th edition of the Africa Eco Race will head to Monaco ready to take on the challenge of one of the toughest rally raid events in the world.
Those daring enough to have signed up to ride at the race with the Ténéré Spirit Experience will also be there, all prepped for the 12 stage event. After the official start ofthe 2024 Africa Eco Race in Monacothe competitors and teams will take a boat from Sète in France to Nador, Morocco, before racing through epic Moroccan landscapes to the Western Sahara, then Mauritania and Senegal, before the grand finale on the beach alongside the famous Lac Rose in Dakar..
Keeping the original Paris-Dakar spirit alive
Founded in 2008, the Africa Eco Race retraces some of the original 1970s Paris-Dakar routes. The forthcoming edition commences on 30th December 2023, finishing on 14th January 2024 in the Senegalese capital. The event keeps the spirit of the old Paris-Dakar alive and it is where the Ténéré was born.
Ténéré Spirit Experience riders who have registered to take part will do so with world-class technical support from the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, which is managed by former ISDE World Champion Marc Bourgeois. They have already gone through an evaluation and training process to ensure they are ready for an epic rally raid experience at an adequate level for their riding ability.
Take your riding to the next level with Ténéré Spirit Experience
The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team’s two pro riders Pol Tarrés and Alessandro Botturi aim to win the Africa Eco Race overall on their GYTR-kitted bikes.
Ténéré Spirit Experience riders taking part in the event will do so with a full support package which includes:
- Mechanical support: a dedicated mechanic for the duration of the event
- Expert management from professional racing team crew
- Interaction with the team and official riders
- Supply and installation of navigation and safety equipment
- Access to Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team hospitality area throughout the event
- Accommodation and catering
- Transport and logistics
- Registration and administrative formalities
Raid and Racing categories with the Ténéré Spirit Experience
Ténéré Spirit Experience riders participating in the Raid Category will cover daily distances of 250km to 400 km on varying terrain: road, rolling or slightly sandy tracks and depending on the level of riding, dunes and sand.
Those opting for the Racing Category will be covering 400km to 600km per day on sandy and stony tracks, dune cordons and wadis.
This is a chance for Yamaha Ténéré riders to experience an adventure in the true spirit of the Paris-Dakar Rally, with the support of an official Yamaha Rally team.
The Great Adventure” documentary out now on Amazon Prime
For those wanting to know more about the Africa Eco Race, they can check out the trailer for “The Great Adventure” documentary – which is already out now on Amazon Prime in countries such as Italy and the UK. The film recounts the efforts of Tarrés and Botturi in the previous edition of the Africa Eco Race, held in 2022.
That race saw Tarrés make history, as the first rider to complete the rally on a twin-cylinder adventure bike, finishing fifth overall and winning the +700 category. He heads into the 2024 Africa Eco Race after a superb result at the 2023 TransAnatolia rally, which saw him secure his first ever rally raid overall victory.
Botturi knows the challenge of the Africa Eco Race and the infamous Mauritania dunes very well. The highly experienced Italian rider had secured consecutive wins at the event in the bike class on a Yamaha WR450F in 2019 and 2020.
For those interested in taking part in rally-raids with the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team through the Ténéré Spirit Experience, check out the events page here.
