11th AND FINAL STAGE: NOUAKCHOTT – MPAL
MOTORCYCLE: Victory for Jacopo Cerutti on Aprilia Tuareg ahead of Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) and Guillaume Borne (Husqvarna).
CAR: Benoît Fretin triumphs with his Century CR6, followed by Martijn Van Den Broek and Pierre Lafay, both on Can-Am.
XTREME RACE SSV: Martijn Van Den Broek wins this edition of the Africa Eco Race, surpassing Pierre Lafay in the final stage. The third place goes to the duo Philippe Champigné / Bruno Robin.
The competitors of the 2025 Africa Eco Race left Mauritania for Senegal this morning. The stage included a total of 317 km, with a new 82 km special around Mpal. Sand and complex navigation marked this stage, with numerous tracks winding between baobabs, acacias, and dozens of parallel tracks. The atmosphere resembled a true safari, with monkeys, warthogs, and camels present. The final special was decisive and full of twists. The final results are now settled, and tomorrow’s special along the beach to Lac Rose will be purely symbolic, as positions are already confirmed.
MOTORCYCLE: CERUTTI AND APRILIA VICTORIOUS AGAIN
Italian rider Jacopo Cerutti wins his second victory at the Africa Eco Race, beating Alessandro Botturi by only 26 seconds. The duel was thrilling: this morning, only 9 seconds separated the two riders in the overall standings. From the start, both realized the special would be particularly challenging. The two Italian riders fought for every meter, and when Cerutti crossed the finish line, he counted the seconds while waiting for Botturi’s arrival. Botturi, besides a slight navigation error, found himself stuck in a net that he dragged to the finish line without being able to get rid of it.
With this victory, Jacopo Cerutti claims his second consecutive title at the Africa Eco Race. Upon arrival, in the middle of the Senegalese savannah, he stated: “It’s incredible, I’m so happy. But I’m also sorry for Botturi, because we are great friends. These two weeks of racing have been amazing, with ups and downs for both of us. He deserved to win as much as I did, but in the end, there can only be one winner.”
Guillaume Borne, who started fourth overall, gave everything today to reach the podium, and succeeded in surpassing Guillem Martinez Boronat, who suffered a spectacular fall just ten kilometers from the finish. The Spaniard, who will become Senegalese in a few days, nevertheless won the Xtreme Rider By Motul (Malles Moto) category as well as the Rookie Riders by Acerbis.
Martinez Boronat, both happy and disappointed, shared: “I’m very happy to have won the Malles Moto category, but I was also aiming for third place. I did everything alone, without giving in to fatigue. I pushed hard today to also win the 450 category, but 10 km from the finish, I fell. Congratulations to Guillaume for his victory in the 450 category.”
4 WHEELS: FRETIN UNBEATABLE, LAFAY SHINES AND WINS THE SSV
In the car category, Pierre Lafay achieved an exceptional special. Starting with a six-minute deficit to the Dutchman Van Den Broek this morning, he made up for this delay by driving at a frantic pace over the 82 km special. He finished with a 8'33” lead over Benoît Fretin, followed by Martijn Van Den Broek, third at 36 minutes.
In the overall standings, Benoît Fretin is confirmed as the winner with 4h36’38” ahead of Lafay, who wins the SSV with only 2’05” ahead.
In the T1 category, Fretin dominated with flawless strategy, leading by more than 21 hours over Magdalena Zajac (Toyota Hilux) and by 26 hours over Wietse Tates (Bowler Wildcat).
At the finish, Fretin, very satisfied, explained: “It was incredible. We built this victory day by day. Maybe we weren’t the fastest, but the strategy paid off. Thanks to my co-driver, who made no mistakes, and my team, which was perfect.”
In the SSV category, the duo Pierre Lafay / Gilles de Turckheim won the special with an 8’2” lead over Martijn Van Den Broek, enough to secure their victory overall with their Can-Am. Philippe Champigné / Bruno Robin finished in third place after difficulties in the last few days.
HISTORIC: THE CLAEYS FATHER AND SON EQUAL THE 2024 VICTORY
In the Historic category, Eric and Tom Claeys, in their Toyota Land Cruiser 73, dominated the entire rally, beating Kurt Dujardyn / René Declercq (Bombardier Iltis). Fabrice and Magali Morin took third place, having quickly learned the secrets of the discipline.
Eric Claeys said: “This year, the landscapes, especially in Morocco, were incredible. The stages were longer and harder, but our team was perfect. No punctures, no incidents, and my son was up to the challenge.”
TOWARDS LAC ROSE FOR THE PODIUM
This 16th edition of the Africa Eco Race embodied the true spirit of rally-raid, offering extraordinary challenges and breathtaking landscapes. Tomorrow, all competitors will head to Lac Rose for the symbolic final stage, with a departure from the beach of Kayar and an arrival on the shores of Lac Rose, where the official awards ceremony will begin at noon.
