special stage before powering to his sixth stage win on Saturday to win the event . “ This final stage , while fast , was rather tough . The navigation was tricky from the start , but I am happy with how I managed it ”, Tarrés said . “ I won the stage , which was a great way to cap off this rally . It is my first rally victory in Africa , and it means a lot to me .” “ The Morocco Desert Challenge certainly lived up to its tough reputation , but we did it , and we won , and I am delighted . Not just for me but for the whole team who have worked tirelessly to get us here . I learned a lot during the rally and cannot wait for the next one .” Tarrés has only been competing in Rally Raid since 2022 , making his achievements in Morocco even more impressive , especially as he was riding without his usual teammate Alessandro Botturi due to a schedule clash for the experienced Italian as he instead focused on fighting for the title in the 2024 Italian Motorally Championship . A podium finisher in the 2023 edition of the Morocco Desert Challenge , coming into the 118km final stage , Tarrés had a lead in the general classification of over two hours and twenty minutes , knowing that he just had to bring it home to seal his first rally victory in Africa , to add to his win at the 2023 TransAnatolia , and his third-place finish at the Africa Eco Race in January . Instead of taking it easy , especially as the stage was a real challenge for the riders ’ navigational skills , he attacked in his usual “ Tarrés style ” on his Ténéré 700 World Rally with the three-stage GYTR Kits fitted to win the special in one hour , ten minutes , and five seconds . Tarrés ’ took the overall victory by a margin of two hours , 21 minutes , and six seconds , all the more remarkable due to the fact he was competing against single-cylinder 450cc prototype machines . Next up for Tarrés and his T7 is the Hellas Rally in Greece from May 27 to June 2 .
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