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 | OiLibya Tunisia:"New Tunisia" welcomes the Rally, new "Tozeur Grand Prix".
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This year, the scent of jasmine floats on a free, open and enthusiastic Tunisia which will welcome the participants to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rally. 100 per cent of the Rally will take place in Tunisia. The departure will be in Tozeur and the arrival will be around Nefta with an unseen format for the last stage in Tunisia. As the 3rd leg of the FIA World Cup and 2nd leg of the FIM World Championship, this race will be composed of 6 steps on varied grounds.
The battle should be hard between Jean-Louis Schlesser (France) in his Buggy and Leonid Novitskiy Russia in his BMW X3CC. There will be also a "secret, well known" driver and also the former World Champion Miroslav Zapletal from Czech Republic, who will start in his new private X-raid BMW. Maurizio Traglio from Italy had to retire after illness, but the Nissan will drive with a French team. In the trucks, Elisabete Jacinto from Portugal could be again the hero with her MAN TGS.
As organizer Stéphane Clair told, "the route 2011 should surprise people who used to come. Participants will discover tracks and ergs never explore before in this rally. The ones who like sand or the ones who want learn will not be disappointed."
For this edition, the rally will start close to Tozeur, at the desert’s doors. After technicals and administratives checks on Saturday 30th of April, the Rally will start by a big sand day around Nefta. From Monday 2nd May, the second step will take competitors until Ksar Ghilane oasis, after an unforgettable day to through breathtaking panoramas in an "endless" erg. The Rally will stay for three nights in Ksar Ghilane.
The 3th of May, competitors will drive "hi-speed" for a loop in the north and an exigeant third step for navigators. Wednesday May 4th, The caravan will leave the oasis to move in Ras El Oued between palm trees and mountains.
The stage of thursday the 5th of May will ve varieted, from top speed tracks to very slow. Unseen in Tunisia, but traditional now on NPO’s events, the 30th edition of the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia will finish by the "Desert Grand Prix". A race seperate (bike/quad - car/truck) with a departure on line and two rounds of 63 kms around Nefta - an incredible sight in the set of the movie "Star Wars".
More than ever the Rally will be covered by international media, thanks to the "National Office of Tunisian Tourism". The Minister of Tourism, Medhi Houas, is personally involved so that the Rally reserve a warm welcome to the 350 persons imvolved. Tunisia is changing to real democracy, this battle was eroic, hard and distressing. "Tunisians count on us, on you. The Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2011 must be an example in a modern and new country."
2011/04/29 | 17:36 CET | ARTICLE: MR/SY
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