Podium finish for Team Aprilia Tuareg Racing
At 2025 Africa Eco Race
Team Aprilia Tuareg Racing celebrated a podium finish in the 2025 Africa Eco Race with Francesco Montanari’s impressive second-place result in the fifth stage, from Laayoune to Dakhla in Morocco. This positive outcome allowed teammate Jacopo Cerutti to reclaim the lead in the overall standings.
The challenging fifth stage, 629.37km, took competitors from Laayoune to Dakhla, crossing through the stunning and demanding southern Moroccan desert. Riders navigated fresh trails through towering dunes and fast, compact sand stretches, making for a tedious journey.
Montanari significantly recovered from the previous stage’s setbacks, securing second place just 2’30’’ behind the stage winner. His performance was especially noteworthy, considering the obstacles faced in the last stage. Despite navigating from the back of the pack, Montanari found proper tracks left by other riders, enabling him to steadily advance up the ranks and reduce the gap to the top positions.
However, it was a more difficult day for Cerutti, who experienced navigational troubles that led to a thirty-fifth-place finish on the stage. Although a faulty navigation instrument was replaced before the race, it malfunctioned early during the timed section, forcing Cerutti to rely on speed and instinct to catch up with other riders.
This led to him and another rider getting lost, costing him crucial time. Despite this, Cerutti’s substantial lead from earlier stages ensured he remained in the overall lead with a 1’30’’ advantage.
Meanwhile, Marco Menichini also had his share of struggles. He finished the stage in twenty-fourth place, trailing the winner by 33’55’’.
Both Montanari and Cerutti reflected on the difficulties of the stage, emphasising the complicated navigation due to poor visibility, dust, and the challenging terrain. Montanari explained how tracking other riders helped him reduce mistakes, although the need to slow down to pass multiple competitors prevented him from achieving an even higher position. He expressed satisfaction with his performance, given the challenging conditions.
Cerutti, on the other hand, remained upbeat despite the setbacks. “The navigation instrument failure was frustrating, but I stayed focused on pushing hard to close the gap on my rival,” he said. “Though we lost time, the positive side is that we are back at the top of the standings, and now we’ll rest and regroup to tackle the next stage with renewed energy.”
As the competitors head into a well-deserved rest day, all eyes will be on Cerutti as he defends his lead in the race’s following stages. With Montanari’s strong performance and Menichini’s perseverance, Team Aprilia Tuareg Racing remains a formidable force in the race.
The team is now gearing up for the next phase of the 2025 Africa Eco Race, where they aim to continue their momentum and deliver their best performances yet.
Hero image: The challenging fifth stage took competitors from Laayoune to Dakhla. Credit: Team Aprilia Tuareg Racing
Last Updated on 2 days by News Desk 2
