Fenix Rally 2021 started with a short flag off ceremony in Douz with the presence of the local authorities, who gave the official start. Just minutes later, the racing vehicles entered the sands and dirty tracks of Sahara. The first leg included 135 kilometers against the clock and offered every terrain that the competitor will face the next days: sand, dunes, pistes, and again, and again.
And the fastest vehicle among the 103 racing machines was the PH Zephyr SSV of Lionel Baud and Loic Minauder (FRA). They “ate” the stage for little more than two hours and are currently leaders in the lightweight class ahead of Edwin Opstelten – Hendricus van Kouwen (Can-Am) and their compatriots from Netherland Pelle Moens and Karana Moens.
Also incredibly fast was the French crew Jerome Pelichet – Pascal Larroque who took the lead in the Car Open class. Their rear-wheel driven Optimus prototype was feeling at home with the sand and the team finished with 4 minutes advantage of the Lithuanians Vaidotas Paskevicius and Andrius Matuolis with the so fresh looking Seat Leon Dakar. The leading trio for the day was closed by another French tandem: Jean Pascal Besson and Francois Cazaletwith their powerful sand buggy.
Top 5 of the car class was completed with the unique desert Porsche of Agostino Rizzardi (ITA) and the racing Hummer H3 Proto of Aivaras Kavaliauskas (LTU). Fastest in the Car Limited class was the duo Frederick Fourdraine – Christophe Stutz from France with Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ 73.
In the bike class, the fastest raider was Romain Muraton (FRA, Husaberg) who took 2 minutes advantage of Marc-Michael Kuehne (GER, KTM). Third for the day was Mattew Grid (GER, GasGas) strictly 3 minutes behind the leader. Anyway, because of a situation with a fallen biker, the stewards will have to take decision in the night, what to do with the times of the pilots, who stop to help him.
The ATVs actually was faster than the bikes in the sands near Douz. And, among them, the fastest was Alexander Piorczynski from Poland who beat the Lithuanians Tomas Mickus and Romualdas Karuzis. The entire leading trio is counting on Can-Am quads.
For its second day, Fenix Rally will have 2 special stages. The first one, called “Park Drive”, will start near the Jebil National Park and will offer 113 kilometers against the clock. The second part, billed “Sahara toaster” will offer 74 kilometers of sand and dunettes. And gues what – there will be a lot of sand…
