FIM
This is unheard of! With more than 190 competitors joining in, the OiLibya Rally of Morocco has beat its attendance record for the 2012 edition. With a Caravan of 800, the rally is now the second biggest event in this speciality after the Dakar! Three months before the start of the Dakar, the main event of January, the cream of the crop are in Erfoud, in southern Morocco for a final rehearsal broken down into six stages and over 2,000 km of which 1,700 on the clock.
On the eve of the great departure, all the crews are subject to technical and administrative verifications. The opportunity to conduct a review of the troops before the six days of racing of the rally and watch the start of the first Baja Morocco, organized in parallel on three days in the same region of Erfoud.
CARS: the leading teams that are X-Raid, Overdrive and Wevers Sport, perform the ultimate tests of their All4Racing Mini, Toyota Hilux Pickup and other Mitsubishi Racing Lancer with crews aiming for the top 10 this winter in Africa or South America. On the one hand The Russian Leonid Novitsky and the Pole Krzysztof Holowczyc Mini All4Racing on the other, the Dutchman Van Merksteijn and Russian Ogorodnikov. Not to mention the French Eric Vigouroux and his impressive Trophy Truck and the Dutchman Bernhard Ten Brinke and Mitsubishi Racing Lancer’s victorious here last year, on four wheels, the showdown promises eventful..
BIKES : the battle looks simply great with all the best in the discipline. From KTM Honda, through Yamaha and to Husqvarna Sherco: all brands have released their best assets. Judge for yourself: Marc Coma (KTM) and Cyril Despres both indisputable rally leaders for nearly a decade on their KTM 450, the Portuguese Rodrigues (Honda) and Gonçalves (Husqvarna), Spanish Barreda (Husqvarna), the Frenchmen Frétigné, Casteu and Pain (Yamaha), the Dutch Verhoeven (Yamaha) and Brazilian Zanol (Honda). To sum it up, this has not happened in ages, but the top 15 of Dakar has indeed set themselves a meeting a few kilometres from the Merzouga erg for a rehearsal in six acts between Erfoud and Zagora. The only one missing the call: Jordi Viladoms forced to withdraw at the last minute with some bruised ribs.
ATV’s: where the French Vincent Albira (Honda) and Pascal Delesque (Honda) will be wary of the Russian Pavlov (Honda) and Dutch Brusselers (E-ATV).
TRUCKS : The big guys from the Netherlands, with no less than six trucks entered the race. With two IVECO, the De Rooy Team are high in the prognosis. Winner of the last Dakar, Gerard De Rooy has quite a competition, beginning with his famous teammate, former world rally champion, Italian Miki Biasion, who won the Olibia rally of Morocco last year. Keep an eye out for the Van Den Bosch and Van Beckx Eerd DAF’s as well the Portuguese Elisabete Jacinto third of the Oilibya Rally of Morocco last year.
INTERVIEWS BIKES
Marc Coma(Esp/KTM 450 Factory Team n°1): “It is not a mini-Dakar, but a full-fledged race with all the difficulties inherent in this field in Africa and Morocco. Everyone is here, so no error will be permitted … ”
Cyril Despres(Fra/KTM 450 Factory Team n°2): “I am particularly pleased to be in Morocco with its landscapes, scenery and special flavours. It will not be an easy race. I am very happy that competition is strong, more the merrier, the more fun. This will be an important step in preparation for the Dakar. At least, at the end of the rally, we will have a clearer idea of competitors strength … ”
Helder Rodrigues(Por/Honda CRF 450 Rally n°3): “I am particularly proud to have been chosen to spearhead the new official Honda team. The bike has been fully prepared by HRC engineers in Japan and this is its first and last real test before the Dakar. And I will try, of course, to confirm last year’s victory; my goal is primarily to prepare the bike before the big event at the end of the year.”
Felipe Zanol(Bré/Honda CRF 450 Rally n°11): “This is my first rally in Africa .For me it will be primarily to learn what particular navigation is required…”
Olivier Pain(Fra/Yamaha 450 YZF n°9): “This is my first rally since the Dakar. I took many months to heal shoulder that was damaged here last year .With the 2013 engine version, our Yamahas are very competitive, but for me, this OiLibya rally of Morocco will be primarily a preparation for the month of January … ”
Frans Verhoeven(P-B/Yamaha 450 YZF n°15): “I am supported by Yamaha Europe, but I joined the team alongside Olivier Pain and David Frétigné. This OiLibya Rally of Morocco is a special appointment because everyone is there. It looks like the start of the Dakar! “
Joan Barreda(Esp/Husqvarna 450 Speedbrain n°8) : “I am confident coming here within ten days of my first victory in the World Championship in Egypt. Our Husqvarna 450 (Team Speedbrain) really works well. But here in Morocco, it will be a different story. All the best are here. I will therefore concentrate on committing as few errors as possible. If I succeed, I shouldn’t finish far from podium “
Thierry Picco(Fra/Yamaha 450 YZF n°51) : “This is my first African rally. Having been diagnosed with cancer two years ago, I decided to found an association called “Two wheels against cancer” that allows me to thank the doctors and all the people who helped me and contribute to the fight against it … ”
Vincent Albira(Fra/Quad Honda n°200) : “Last year I was leading the rally when my engine gave up. So we worked on it to prevent it from happening again. We are ready, but the battle will be fierce as the competition will be fierce. ”
Dimitry Pavlov(Fra/Quad Honda n°270) : “Like last year, I’m here to win. But I’m not alone in this. I need to stay regular and for six days …”
Communication NPO – www.npo.fr –
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