The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team’s Alessandro Botturi, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), recovered from his 15-minute Stage 1 penalty superbly by securing a dominant Stage 2 victory at the Addax Rally in Morocco. Unfortunately, after winning the opening stage, his teammate on the official race bike, António Maio, suffered a heavy crash on Tuesday, after which he and the team made the decision to withdraw from the rest of the rally.
Stage 2 at the Addax Rally was the longest of the event, covering 388.92 km. A tricky and technical special saw riders start from the bivouac in Merzouga and traverse the fast tracks of Taouz, the dry oueds of Jdeid, and the endless sands of Ramlia, where navigation was, once again, the key to success.
Botturi set the fastest time on Stage 1 before a 15-minute penalty for missing a waypoint relegated him to fifth on the stage and fourth overall. Obviously disappointed, the 50-year-old Italian responded perfectly, blasting to a stunning victory on the second stage, with a time of five hours, 41 minutes, 26 seconds, over two minutes ahead of his nearest rival. This sees the two-time Africa Eco Race winner move up to second in the general classification, just three minutes and 21 seconds off the lead.
For Maio, riding as a guest of the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team on the official race bike, after the joy of winning Stage 1, his first-ever desert rally raid timed special on the Ténéré 700 Rally, sadly, the second stage did not go as planned. After riding strongly throughout the special, once again showing his potential and pace, he suffered a heavy crash with just over 50 km left. He managed to remount and finish the stage in sixth place, but after going to the hospital for medical checks, he decided, with the team, to retire from the rest of the rally and head back to Portugal for further medical assessment.
It was another strong day for the Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) riders who are racing the Ténéré 700 World Raid alongside the official team, with Kevin Gallas finishing the stage in second to take the overall lead in the general classification. Mike Wiedemann made it a 1-2-3 on the stage for the Ténéré in third, while Bertrand Gavard was 11th. This means that Yamaha enjoys a lockout of the top three places in the general classification, with Gallas ahead of Botturi, and Wiedemann in third.
Stage 3 of the Addax Rally involves a 370 km timed special that will prove a true navigational test, as the riders head from Erfoud to Rissani, before taking on the dried riverbeds, loose stones, and rocky trails of Jorf, which will push man and machine to the absolute limit, with little or no landmarks to use for reference.
Addax Rally – Stage 2 Results
Addax Rally – General Classification After Stage 2
Alessandro Botturi – P1 – 5h41m26s – P2 Overall – 9h10m39s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a very difficult stage today: tough navigation and challenging terrain. I also had a headache and wasn’t feeling great, so to bounce back with the stage victory felt good. Obviously, we were disappointed after the penalty yesterday, but I just tried to stay focused and claw back as much time as possible. The Ténéré 700 Rally was amazing once more; it handled everything the Sahara Desert could throw at it with ease, and we are now back in the hunt for victory. I am already looking forward to Stage 3!”
António Maio – P6 – 6h27m3s – RET
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“I am absolutely devastated. After winning the opening stage, I was feeling very confident, and the bike was great. Sadly, while approaching the end of the second stage, I suffered from a crash. I took a hard hit, but managed to get back on the bike to finish the stage. Once I arrived at the bivouac, I was checked by the doctors, and although I felt okay, I had some pain in my back, so I went to the hospital for some checks. After this, and after speaking with the team, we felt it was best that I withdraw from the rally and fly back to Portugal for further assessment. I want to thank the team and Yamaha for this amazing opportunity. It was a dream come true to ride the official race bike, but now I will focus on recovering and being ready for the Africa Eco Race.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“Today was a tough and challenging day, the longest of the whole rally. Navigation was also extremely difficult, and they experienced almost every type of terrain. Botturi showed his class in responding to yesterday’s disappointment, and his famous “Never give up” attitude in taking the stage win. We are devastated for António. He has been a superb ambassador for Yamaha at this event, and to win his first-ever desert rally stage on the Ténéré 700 Rally shows the potential he has on this bike. Unfortunately, after suffering from a heavy crash and discussing all of the options with him, we came to the decision together, for safety reasons, to withdraw him from the rally and let him go back to Portugal for further medical checks. It was another impressive day for the TSE riders too, with Kevin now leading the rally, and us enjoying a lockout of the top three in the overall standings. There are still three long days to go, but we are looking forward to battling at the front again on Wednesday.”
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