With the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team and our valued Ténéré Spirit Experience riders taking the 2024 Morocco Desert Challenge by storm, it was important for us to capture the essence of the rally and take you inside the race with us.
That’s exactly what we did over the eight epic stages in Morocco, courtesy of dedicated motorsports enthusiast Stéphanie Frasson-Botton, who was the host of the INSIDE Ténéré Spirit Experience series throughout the rally.
Enjoying the race with Stéphanie
Stéphanie kindly guided our followers behind-the-scenes on every stage, explaining the route, the conditions and the work of the team and introducing to the characters who made it all possible. Each episode was published on Instagram and Facebook for fans of the Ténéré Spirit Experience to enjoy and to show the inside story of the adventure.
In the first INSIDE Ténéré Spirit Experience episode Stéphanie introduced the series and explained the 299km Prologue, which started in Agadir and finished in Plage Blanche (Guelmim).
We also met Racing Category rider Stéphane Poulet and he gave us his impressions of the initial experiences with the team. On the equipment side we took a close-up look at the Ténéré 700 World Rally, including the brake lever protectors and the specialised protective rally equipment which features on the motor and chassis.
The racing heats up
EPISODE 2
In the second chapter Stéphanie explained the racing results after an impressive stage win for the team’s main official rider Pol Tarrés and we also got the thoughts of Raid category riders Franck Mutin and Alexandre Gomes, who were already hugely enjoying the event and learning fast. Mechanic Lucas Gaubert then gave us the lowdown on the tyres used by the team, including the Michelin Desert Race Rear.
EPISODE 3
In the Third episode of the INSIDE Ténéré Spirit Experience story our host Stéphanie explained the tough 361km completely off-road stage for the riders starting in Assa and finishing in Tissint.
We met Raid category rider Marc Girardin to get his perspective on the magical experience of jumping deep into the Rally-Raid scene at one of the best races in the world. We were also lucky enough to meet Amélie from the organising team and some of the Race Direction members, whose hard work makes the Morocco Desert Challenge possible.
Tough conditions at an elite event
EPISODE 4
In the fourth installment Raid category rider Christophe Edouin gave his honest assessment of riding in the tough conditions that an elite event like this presents and how the support of the Ténéré Spirit Experience makes overcoming such challenges so enjoyable. Then Team Manager Marc Bourgeois examined a damaged wheel rim and explained how his crew help the riders perform on the extreme terrain as they push the Ténéré bike to its limits, fixing any issues, in order to be ready to go again the next day.
EPISODE 5
The fifth video in the series saw Stéphanie explain the tricky Stage 5 from Tazzarine to Merzouga in the heat and blinding sun, before we caught up with Raid category participant Franck Mutin and then Yamaha Motor R&D Europe Racing Engineer Emanuele Vignali gave us an overview of the GYTR Rally Kit.
Tarrés responds strongly to adversity
EPISODE 6
In the sixth episode of INSIDE Ténéré Spirit Experience we saw the great atmosphere in the team, as the race took them into 261km of desert riding, across golden sand dunes to the Black Stone. We met Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team Assistant Chloé Minaux and learned that Tarrés had finished first on Stage 6, bouncing back after two tough stages on the previous two days. His overall lead had now been extended to 1h 20”.
EPISODE 7
In the seventh and penultimate chapter we saw that Tarrés had triumphed after 450km of specials and liaisons on Stage 7. Meanwhile we met Logistics Manager Hugo Haben who described his crucial role in the team, before Emanuele Vignali showed us the various components of the GYTR Performance Kit.
tout se termine à Ain Ben Mattar
EPISODE 8
In the eighth and final episode we went inside the final stage from Borj Bel Frissate to the finish at Ain Ben Mattar. Tarrés confirmed the overall victory in style, becoming the winner of the 2024 Morocco Desert Challenge by more than 2h 20’, making him the first rider to win the rally on a twin-cylinder adventure bike.
Stéphane Poulet gave his summary after confirming a highly respectable result of 17th in the general classification, as Yamaha made it a one-two in the M1.2 class (601cc and above). We also heard from the Raid riders on how their riding skills had improved significantly by being in at the deep end at one of the world’s hardest in ralles, before seeing the celebrations at the end of an epic Moroccan adventure.
