| For Paulin, Stage 2 was his first special of the AER on a motorbike, with the former MXGP rider having won the 2024 edition of the race in the car category. New to rally raid, the five-time MXoN winner is still learning the art of navigation, but even so, he managed an impressive ride to finish in sixth overall, just seven minutes and nine seconds behind his teammate.
Showcasing the strength and competitiveness of the Ténéré, Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Kevin Gallas made it a double podium in third, and there were five more Ténérés in the top ten, as fellow TSE riders Mike Wiedemann (7th) and Antonion Maio (10th) made it an excellent day for the team.
Stage 3 sees the riders start with a 19 km liaison to the start of a 440 km special that features the Chegaga dunes and vast plains of Lake Iriki, along with faster rocky trails, before a 55 km liaison to the bivouac in Assa, for a total of 514 km.
Stage 2 Results
Alessandro Botturi – P1 – 2h24m4s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was great to finally get started after the cancellations. Today’s stage was reduced to about half its length due to damage from the extreme weather, but it was still tough, and the navigation was tricky. I am delighted to secure the stage win and open up a lead in the general classification. The bike performed perfectly, and I felt great, so I am already looking forward to Stage 3.”
Gautier Paulin – P6 – 2h31m13s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Honestly, it was great to get started. This is my first Africa Eco Race on a motorbike, and I am still learning rally raid, so finishing in sixth, only seven minutes behind Alessandro, was a solid start. The navigation for this stage was tricky, as they had to make many changes to the roadbook due to the weather. As I am still learning the navigational skills needed at this level, I had to focus more on that than on going fast, which was a bit frustrating. Hopefully, on the next stage, there won’t be as many changes, and I will be able to attack more. The bike was great, it was amazing surfing through the dunes, and I am excited for the next stage.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It was great to get the rally underway, finally. With the cancellations, obviously, there was a little bit of pressure on today’s stage to not make any mistakes and have a strong start. Due to weather issues, the special was shortened by about half its distance, but we had a great start. Botturi was superb, showing his usual experience and pace to win the stage by a comfortable margin. Gautier made an impressive start, considering he is still learning in this discipline. He stuck to the plan, and each day he will learn more and improve. And having five Ténérés in the top ten shows how strong and competitive the bike is. Stage 3 will be over 400km, and so the real race begins then, but we are ready for anything.” |
