The fight for victory in the Africa Eco Race could hardly be more thrilling. This Friday, Jacopo Cerutti was the fastest in the tenth stage, closing to within just nine seconds of the lead with two days remaining.
The Italian rider from Aprilia completed the 410km timed section between Amodjar and Nouakchott, navigating the challenging Sahara dunes in 4h52m41s, beating his main rival for victory, Alessandro Botturi (Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team), by 9m40s.
This means that, with two days to go, Botturi remains at the top of the standings… but with only a nine-second lead over Cerutti, leaving everything to play for until the finish in Senegal on Sunday.
Mathieu Liebaert (RVE-Graphecool Racing/KTM) finished third in the stage, ahead of Giovanni Gritti (RS Moto Honda Rally Team) and Shinya Fujiwara (SMRP With Bivouac Osaka/Husqvarna).
In the overall standings, behind the top two, Guillaume Borne (Team GBR/Husqvarna) holds third place, now over two hours behind Botturi and Cerutti. The top five is completed by Guillem Martínez (Team Sénégal/KTM) and Liebaert.
Tomorrow marks the 11th and penultimate stage of the Africa Eco Race, which could be decisive. Riders will cross the border into Senegal through the Sahelian savanna, with a 75km timed section between Nouakchott and Mpal.