DIRT NEWS
TÉNÉRÉ 700 BEATS THE 450S AT THE TUNISIA RALLY
Yamaha continues to push the boundaries of middleweight adventure bikes with its new Ténéré World Raid Team taking on the traditional 450cc machines at the Tunisia Desert Rally . Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team ’ s Alessandro Botturi made history as he secured a sensational victory in the TDC , the first for a production bike against its prototype rivals , after finishing the final stage in fifth . His teammate Pol Tarres showed his potential as he powered to ninth during Stage 8 to end his debut Rally Raid event in a respectable 30th overall . Searing heat , treacherous sandstorms , two cancelled stages and some of the most demanding terrain ever seen in Africa showcased why the TDC is known as an “ extreme ” Rally Raid . Still , the team took it all in their stride to pull off the seemingly impossible in their maiden race to surge to victory . Competing against more specialised 450cc Enduro machines on the new GYTR-kitted Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid , the team aimed to use the rally as a test to develop the bike further ahead of more adventures , and what a trial it proved to be . Even the experienced Botturi , who has raced in
seven Dakar ’ s and has victories at the Merzouga Rally , Transanatolia Rally and Africa Eco Race to his name , admitted that the demanding terrain and severe conditions , with temperatures rising to over 35 degrees Celsius in the Tunisian Desert and winds up to 80km / h , were some of the toughest he has ever come across . The vast dunes , soft sand , physical rocky sections , mirageinducing salt lakes , and fast , dusty trails would have proved a challenge for anyone , let alone a team and machine making their debut as the first to compete in a Rally Raid event with a production bike . Incredibly , Botturi and his Ténéré never missed a beat despite all of this . The dangerous sandstorms meant that Stage 6 was cancelled , and the seventh stage was called off by the first waypoint due to a lack of visibility which meant the Safety Helicopter could not take off , but not before several bikes and riders were forced to retire as the punishing conditions took their toll . Therefore Botturi , ever-present in the top five in all the previous stages , headed into the final stage with an almost 14-minute lead over his nearest rival , with 300km of fast desert roads and dunes to navigate to secure an incredible victory .
24 KIWI RIDER