Category: Gazelles
Last Leg! Early Thursday morning competitors left the start line one last time for the final Leg of the rally. While the distances were shorter, the landscape was more variable, alternating between wide plains and steep valleys. In the distance the “Grand M’daouer” cliffs created one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world. [...]
Winners of the 24th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc 4WD Class 1st – Team 161 (Jeanette James and Anne-Marie Borg – VOLKSWAGEN VEHICULES UTILITAIRES) – France/UK - 59.24 penalty points. 2nd – Team 160 (Elisabete Jacinto and Valérie Dot – VOLKSWAGEN VEHICULES UTILITAIRES) – France/Portugal - 65.10 points 3rd – Team 118 (Catherine Houlès and Mélanie Suchet [...]
At 6 a.m., the first teams check off CP6 before heading in the direction of the remaining 8 checkpoints along today’s route, always with the goal of driving the shortest distance possible. They have two options for reaching CP7: drive a straight line across a chaotic zone of sand and rocks, or go down into Oued Draa and zig-zag along the dried river [...]
Day 1 There is never a dull moment at the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. The much-anticipated (or dreaded!) leg in the dunes was followed by the first of two marathon legs: two days of complete autonomy in the desert with no bivouac and no nighttime mechanical assistance. Relieved at having survived the dunes, the novices were now wondering what to expect, alone [...]
They call it the marathon leg. It’s long, grueling, and a true test of character. On Sunday morning, competitors packed tents, sleeping bags, food for 48-hours and collected their maps and headed south into the desert. One of the biggest tests of the rally, the marathon leg (the first of two) took competitors through some [...]
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There is a radical change of atmosphere at the bivouac this evening. It is as though the Gazelles had been holding their breath in anticipation of the iconic Merzouga leg with its dunes, its struggles and its heroic feats. Early to bed, focused on getting through this day. Most of the teams have reached the bivouac by 7:30; the pressure is off and the Rallye village is [...]
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from Ralle Aicha des Gazelles After yesterday’s prologue, today the Gazelles faced the first leg that counts toward the ranking with a mix of apprehension and enthusiasm. 6 checkpoints with an ideal distance of 125 km, estimated time 9 hours… in theory. In reality, the day would prove much longer, especially for first-time Gazelles. At the CP closing time of [...]
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Today marked the official first day of competition for the 24th Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. The competitors were greeted with a 4 a.m. wake up call and 5 a.m. briefing before the green flag dropped at 6 a.m. Leg 1 started and finished at the Nejjekh bivouac just east of Erfoud, Morocco. Good Morning! [...]
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Following yesterday’s prologue that didn’t count towards the event ranking, this morning the Gazelles will tackle Leg 1 of the Rallye des Gazelles 2014, a leg that should pose no major difficulties. “It’s a leg to toughen you up” remarks sporting director Ludovic Taché during his 5 o’clock briefing. On today’s program: 6 checkpoints scattered across a wide area, which the Gazelles must reached in the right order to avoid being [...]
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Given the number of teams (160) and the fact that this is a competition based on navigation rather than speed, it is necessary to divide the teams onto different routes in order to prevent them from following each other. There are a total of 6 routes: S for Crossover class, and A, B, C, D [...]
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Last Leg! Early Thursday morning competitors left the start line one last time for the final Leg of the rally. While the distances were shorter, the landscape was more variable, alternating between wide plains and steep valleys. In the distance the “Grand M’daouer” cliffs created one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world. [...]
2014 Rallye Aicha des Gazelles Rankings
Winners of the 24th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc 4WD Class 1st – Team 161 (Jeanette James and Anne-Marie Borg – VOLKSWAGEN VEHICULES UTILITAIRES) – France/UK - 59.24 penalty points. 2nd – Team 160 (Elisabete Jacinto and Valérie Dot – VOLKSWAGEN VEHICULES UTILITAIRES) – France/Portugal - 65.10 points 3rd – Team 118 (Catherine Houlès and Mélanie Suchet [...]
Gazelles: Another long Marathon leg – Day 2
At 6 a.m., the first teams check off CP6 before heading in the direction of the remaining 8 checkpoints along today’s route, always with the goal of driving the shortest distance possible. They have two options for reaching CP7: drive a straight line across a chaotic zone of sand and rocks, or go down into Oued Draa and zig-zag along the dried river [...]
LEG 4 – First marathon: charged with emotion
Day 1 There is never a dull moment at the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. The much-anticipated (or dreaded!) leg in the dunes was followed by the first of two marathon legs: two days of complete autonomy in the desert with no bivouac and no nighttime mechanical assistance. Relieved at having survived the dunes, the novices were now wondering what to expect, alone [...]
12 cities in Argentina, Chile* and Bolivia will play host to the 13 stages of the Dakar 2015 next January, for 14 days of sport in total. For the first time, whilst the competitors in some categories will be resting, the others will continue racing… The Dakar organisers have devoted their week to a first [...]
X-Raid MINI’s DOMINATE Dakar 2014
The Monster Energy X-raid Team and Team X-raid performed a true feat, this year: all the 11 MINI ALL4 Racing that started into the 2014 Dakar in Rosario, Argentina, also crossed the finish line on 18th January in Valparaiso, Chile. First of all, the Spanish-French pairing Nani Roma / Michel Périn who secured the win, [...]
The MINI ALL4 Racing dominates the 2014 Dakar Rally
• Nani Roma und Michel Périn win the legendary desert rally • Three MINI ALL4 Racing on the podium 13 stages, more than 13,000 kilometres, one of the most gruelling Dakars ever – and in the end, the conclusion has to be: the MINI ALL4 Racing dominated the 2014 Dakar in unique style! For the [...]
Peterhansel gives the Monster Energy X-raid Team its seventh stage win
• Fourth stage win for the Frenchman in the 2014 Dakar • Nine of the top-12 positions in the overall rankings held by MINI ALL4 Racing The French pairing Stéphane Peterhansel / Jean-Paul Cottret in the black MINI ALL4 Racing proved to be the quickest in the 350-kilometre special stage from El Salvador to La [...]
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