Cerutti wins 2nd Africa Eco Race in Dakar
The 16th edition of the Africa Eco Race drew to a close on the shores of Lac Rose in Dakar.
The rally event, which began in Monaco in late December, saw competitors in a variety of categories tackle stages in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal.
Italian rider Jacopo Cerutti secured his second consecutive Africa Eco Race victory aboard an Aprilia Tuareg in a nail-biting finish, defeating fellow Italian Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) by just 26 seconds. The dramatic conclusion to the 2025 edition unfolded during the final competitive stage in Senegal, a challenging 82 km special near Mpal featuring complex navigation through baobab-lined tracks.
In the car category, Benoît Fretin emerged victorious with his Century CR6, demonstrating strategic excellence throughout the rally. Fretin led the T1 category by over 21 hours ahead of Magdalena Zajac's Toyota Hilux. Pierre Lafay claimed an impressive win in the SSV category with his Can-Am, securing victory by a mere 2'05" margin over Martijn Van Den Broek.
The final competitive stage, totaling 317 km, proved decisive for several categories. Guillaume Borne claimed the final podium spot in motorcycles after Guillem Martinez Boronat suffered a crash just 10 km from the finish. Despite this setback, Boronat still secured victories in both the Xtreme Rider By Motul and Rookie Riders by Acerbis categories.
In the Historic category, the father-son duo of Eric and Tom Claeys dominated with their Toyota Land Cruiser 73, repeating their 2024 success. They outperformed Kurt Dujardyn and René Declercq in their Bombardier Iltis, with Fabrice and Magali Morin completing the podium.
