– Officials confirm excited and challenging new route for Africa Eco Race
– New partnership announced with Sunreef Yachts with CEO set to take part
Africa Eco Race officials have announced a record-breaking increase in the number of competitors across all disciplines and the final details of a challenging route for the largest cross-country event in Africa.
The event gets underway with a night start in the Principality of Monaco on January 4th and finishes on the shores of Lac Rose in Senegal on January 19th.
Competitors from 34 countries will tackle the gruelling African classic with 81% more motorcycles and 23% more cars, trucks and SSVs set to tackle a route that will feature around 70% of new terrain through Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal.
The opening leg on January 7th takes place between Tanger and Tarda and features a short special stage of 24km in a day’s route of 754km. Day two passes between Tarda and Mahmid and includes a timed section of 330km.
A challenging third day on January 9th heads from Mahmid to Oued Draa and includes a stage of 498km before the Africa Eco Race caravan moves into the deep south of Morocco to Smara with a selective section of 385km on January 10th.
The crossing into Western Sahara takes competitors on to the city of Dakhla on January 11th, via a competitive section of 473km, and action resumes on January 13th after the event’s traditional rest day on the Atlantic coast.
From Dakhla, the route crosses into the vast wilderness of Mauritania, a stage of 177km and a night halt in Chami, a settlement on the highway between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The route then heads into the deepest Mauritanian Sahara and a night stop at the commune of Aïdzidîne, situated south-west of Atar. Competitors will tackle a demanding special stage of 478km between the two bivouacs.
Participants then move on to the legendary Saharan outpost of Tidjikja for the first time – a location made famous in the gruelling Dakar rallies of the past – with an eighth stage of 429km lined up for January 15th. The rally will then feature a loop stage of 415km in and out of the Tidjikja bivouac on January 16th before the road book guides competitors on to Idini in the Trarza region of Western Mauritania on January 17th and the longest stage of the event at 500km.
From there, surviving crews will be on the home straight to the north-western Senegalese town of St. Louis, via a short stage of 187km, on January 18th. A run through Senegal brings crews to the legendary Lac Rose and a final timed section of 22km to the finish in Dakar on January 19th.
Sunreef Yachts, the world’s leading manufacturer of custom-made luxury catamarans, has also been announced as the main partner for the 2020 Africa Eco Race. Founder and CEO Francis Lapp is a passionate auto and water sports enthusiast and has been involved in several rally and boat competitions in the past. He will take the start of the 2020 Africa Eco Race with well known competitor Jacky Lechleiter in a Mercedes.
Rally officials will be delivering broadcasts each evening from the bivouac on Facebook Live, featuring interviews with participants, in addition to a daily 13-minute video with the highlights of the day’s stage, live tracking and results and regularly updated Facebook and Instagram news.
2020 Africa Eco Race – The route
SS1 – January 7th – Tangier-Tarda – Total: 754km & SS: 24km
SS2 – January 8th – Tangier-Mahmid – Total: 333km & SS: 330km
SS3 – January 9th – Mahmid-Oued Draa – Total: 516km & SS: 498km
SS4 – January 10th – Oued Draa-Smara – Total: 404km & SS: 385km
SS5 – January 11th – Smara-Dakhla – Total: 686km & SS: 473km
Rest day – January 12th – Dakhla
SS6– January 13th – Dakhla-Chami – Total: 559km & SS: 177km
SS7 – January 14th – Chami-Aïdzidîne – Total: 478km & SS: 478km
SS8 – January 15th – Aïdzidîne-Tidjikja – Total: 450km & SS: 429km
SS9 – January 16th – Tidjikja-Tidjikja – Total: 469km & SS: 415km
SS10 – January 17th – Tidjikja-Idini – Total: 600km & SS: 500km
SS11 – January 18th – Idini-St. Louis – Total: 473km & SS: 187km
SS12 – January 19th – St.Louis-Dakar – Total: 291km & SS: 22km
Neil Perkins,