2025 could not have started better for Alessandro Botturi as he beat defending Africa Eco Race champion Jacopo Cerruti to win Stage #2 for bikes. On the other hand, the new year could not have started any worse for his teammate Pol Tarrés.
After finishing third behind Cerruti and Botturi on Tuesday, Tarrés’ race came to an abrupt end when he crashed 119 kilometers into Wednesday’s leg after what Yamaha team manager Marc Bourgeois said was a “tiny error.” He was knocked unconscious in the accident before being airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
“I can’t really remember what happened, and it was a real shame as I was pushing hard and making up time on the riders ahead of me,” said Tarrés. “I am sorry for the team. They have worked so hard, but sometimes these things happen in rallies. I wish them and Alessandro the best of luck for the rest of the event, and I will be cheering them on.”
Although the only factory representative for Yamaha now, Botturi was able to beat Cerruti by 2:52 to win the stage. Cerruti’s Aprilia partner Francesco Montanari joined them on the podium.
“It rained over the last few days and that makes the trails hard to see, so it is rather demanding,” Cerruti explained. “In any case, I did really well despite a few mistakes around the hundredth kilometer which allowed the rider behind me to get close.
With Tarrés out of the picture, Guillaume Borne moved up to third overall as the highest running 450cc bike.
Tomáš Ouředníček had a tumultuous New Year’s celebration that began with his Toyota Gazoo Racing Czech team making overnight repairs to the differential. While the component held on Wednesday, he and navigator Lukáš Barták got lost for about 20 minutes then received a 15-minute penalty for missing a waypoint. The latter cost them second in T1.1 for the day as they were classified third in subclass (fifth among all cars) behind Vincent Vroninks and Magdalena Zajac.
Stage #2 winners
Moto
| Class | Overall | Number | Rider | Team | Time |
| 450cc | 4 | 9 | Guillaume Borne | BB Racing Team | 4:19:24 |
| Over 450cc | 34 | 19 | Francesco Puocci | Team Puocci | 5:32:29 |
| Multi-Cylinder (650cc–1000cc) | 1 | 3 | Alesandro Botturi | Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team | 3:44:46 |
| Multi-Cylinder (Over 1000cc) | 8 | 5 | Joan Pedrero | Harley-Davidson | 4:27:14 |
| Quad | 67 | 99 | Laurent Hellemans | Hellau | 21:20:00 |
Auto
| Class | Overall | Number | Driver | Team | Time |
| T1.1 | 2 | 201 | Vincent Vroninks | QFF Racing | 4:02:59 |
| T1.3 | 1 | 200 | Benoit Fretin | Century Racing | 3:50:48 |
| T5.1 | 6 | 400 | Gerrit Zuurmond | Rainbow Truck Team | 4:47:59 |
| SSV | 3 | 251 | Pierre Lafay | Team Gazzafond | 4:07:30 |
Leaders after Stage #2
Moto
| Class | Overall | Number | Rider | Team | Time |
| 450cc | 3 | 9 | Guillaume Borne | BB Racing Team | 5:01:39 |
| Over 450cc | 31 | 19 | Francesco Puocci | Team Puocci | 6:26:12 |
| Multi-Cylinder (650cc–1000cc) | 1 | 3 | Alesandro Botturi | Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team | 4:24:14 |
| Multi-Cylinder (Over 1000cc) | 8 | 5 | Joan Pedrero | Harley-Davidson | 5:14:13 |
| Quad | 65 | 99 | Laurent Hellemans | Hellau | 22:27:29 |
Auto
| Class | Overall | Number | Driver | Team | Time |
| T1.1 | 2 | 201 | Vincent Vroninks | QFF Racing | 4:44:02 |
| T1.3 | 1 | 200 | Benoit Fretin | Century Racing | 4:33:03 |
| T5.1 | 6 | 400 | Gerrit Zuurmond | Rainbow Truck Team | 5:36:26 |
| SSV | 3 | 251 | Pierre Lafay | Team Gazzafond | 4:47:23 |
Featured image credit: Yamaha Racing
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