Objavljeno: 27.01.2024
With today's third place, ahead of the Botturi/Yamaha pairing, direct opponents for the final victory, Jacopo Cerutti and Aprilia Tuareg won the 2023 Africa Eco Race.
Developed by Aprilia Racing with the collaboration of the Guareschi brothers' GCorse, the Aprilia Tuareg designed for desert racing exploits the great off-road capabilities of the production Tuareg from which it is closely derived.
A bike designed for global adventure and which, even in the gruelling African environment, has confirmed riding and engine qualities of absolute excellence.
An absolute triumph, in a gruelling race over six thousand kilometres long, always led by the Italian team. Cerutti and Tuareg were first in the overall standings for the entire race, right from the first stage. It is an extraordinary result for Aprilia Tuareg which, at its absolute debut in the great African rallies, thus dominated against bikes and riders of great value, who could boast great experience and preparation on the African tracks.
And it is a triumph for Aprilia Racing, which developed the bike with the technical collaboration of the Guareschi brothers' GCorse, starting from the exceptional base of the Aprilia Tuareg. So, one year after its first presentation, the "back to Africa" project, born to bring Aprilia back to the big races in the desert, achieves its greatest success. But not the first, since, in preparation for the Africa Eco Race, the Cerutti/Tuareg duo won the Italian Motorally title and took a great podium at Transanatolia, their first ever race in the big rallies.
The competition version of the Aprilia Tuareg is equipped with Öhlins by Andreani suspension, complete SC-Project titanium exhaust and specific Sprint Filter air filter.
JACOPO CERUTTI
"I had quite a scare today, because at the 20th kilometre there was a bit of a mix-up on a note and I thought my rivals had dropped me. But then I found the track again and it was me who caught Botturi. From that moment on we went on together and I brought the result home. I must compliment my opponents for the fairness they showed throughout the race, it was really an honour to battle with them. It was a very tense Africa Eco Race for us, leading from the start with Botturi and Tarres putting pressure on us, but we managed it. Thanks also to a great bike: the Tuareg proved itself equal to a demanding marathon like this. I can't wait to celebrate together with the team!".
Aprilia Racing, a legend born with off-road racing
Off-road racing was Aprilia's debut in competition. Nothing strange for a brand that had revealed its off-road soul from the very first 1970s models such as the Scarabeo. In 1974, Noale's first race bike was a 125 motocross. As early as 1977 came the first Italian titles in the 125 and 250 classes. In 1978 the first podiums and the limelight of the Motocross World Championship.
In 1985 Aprilia Racing began its adventure in speed racing with the MotoGP, but the first world championship title came from Trial in 1992. Seven more world titles came from the off-road world, and from 2004 to 2011 the twin-cylinder SXV 450 and 550 were the stars of the Supermoto Championship, winning three rider and four manufacturer titles.
After an epic first appearance at the Paris-Dakar with Tuareg in 1989, Aprilia returned to the big race in the desert in 2010 with the revolutionary twin-cylinder RXV Rally 450 which participated in three consecutive editions of the Dakar, until 2012. The spectacular Rally immediately got three stage victories and third place overall in 2010, coming close to the sensational feat of triumphing on its debut.
As of today, Aprilia is the last Italian manufacturer to have won a stage at the Dakar, in 2012.
