Milan: The 2025 edition of the Africa Eco Race comes to a close with Jacopo Cerutti and Team Aprilia Tuareg Racing playing the leading role in a thrilling competition which was wide open all the way down to the final timed section. This second consecutive title is the cherry on top of an unforgettable edition which ended with the final parade on the banks of the Lac Rose.
The sixteenth edition of the Africa Eco Race covered almost 6,000 km, crossing over the breathtaking landscape of Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal. It was a gruelling route which put riders and bikes to a difficult test, confirming the Aprilia Tuareg Rally’s level of excellence. The last stage took the participants on a final stage towards the banks of the legendary Lac Rose, thereby marking the triumphal conclusion of this extraordinary 2025 edition.
Jacopo Cerutti tackled the race with the determination and skill of a champion, overcoming incredible challenges: from the complex navigation to the treacherous terrain, from physical difficulties to technical glitches, such as the issues with the rear tyre mousse and the navigation instrument not working. In spite of it all, Cerutti defended his title all the way to the last kilometre, taking five stage victories and another two podiums to confirm his extraordinary feeling with the Aprilia Tuareg Rally.
Francesco Montanari finished the 2025 edition improving consistently, demonstrating exceptional maturity. His first stage victory in the Africa Eco Race, along with a total of three podiums, puts a seal on his outstanding performance, confirming his status as one of the stars of the African rally.
Marco Menichini, making his début with the Tuareg, took victory in the Junior Under 25 class, as well as third place in the multicylinder class, adding one more trophy to Team Aprilia Tuareg Racing’s collection in the Africa Eco Race. His performance, which culminated with sixth place overall, is a result worth remembering.
With this second consecutive title and the results achieved by all the riders, the Aprilia Tuareg Rally confirms its status as the absolute point of reference in big rally raid competitions. The symbolic image of this edition took place when it arrived at the end of the sixth stage on the bare rim due to a problem with the tyre mousse – the demonstration of a practically unstoppable bike. Developed in collaboration with the Guareschi brothers’ GCorse, the Tuareg Rally has made significant progress in fine- tuning compared to last year, further confirmed by the partnership with Metzeler, and has once again shown its features of versatility, reliability, and high performance in an extreme competition like the Africa Eco Race.
Special thanks to Team Guareschi for their tireless work and to all our partners who made this dream possible: Metzeler, SC Project, Acerbis, RK Chain, Jet Prime, Alpina, Andreani and CHT Chiaravalli.
JACOPO CERUTTI
“An edition which ended in the best possible way, in spite of the difficulties we faced and overcame. I rode well, without making many mistakes. I did not crash and I managed to stay consistently focused. We had an outstanding advantage in the sand, both because of my riding style and the performance of the Tuareg Rally, and I was able to exploit it fully. It was an edition where strategy was fundamental and, in the last two days, I accomplished an undertaking that even I did not think possible. When I saw that I could pull away on the dunes, I started to believe and I gave it 100%. I am truly happy for my teammates as well, Cecco and Marco, who did a brilliant job. A huge thank you to all the members of the team, who proved to be super dedicated to the cause and were essential to this victory, giving me a highly competitive Tuareg Rally. Congratulations also to Alessandro Botturi, it was great to have an opponent like him and to fight to the end.”
FRANCESCO MONTANARI
“I am truly satisfied with this 2025 edition. The first week, I was consistently there at the front. It was thrilling and I accumulated a lot of experience. After that, with the more difficult stages, I tackled challenges which taught me a great deal. In the end, the stage victory came in the eighth stage – a perfect day where I navigated well without making mistakes. Credit for this goes to everyone, not just to me in the saddle, but to the entire team which did an incredible job. Congratulations to Jacopo who had two truly extraordinary days at the end, where he managed to close the gap behind his direct rival. Applause for Marco and his outstanding results as well.”
MARCO MENICHINI
“It was an extremely thrilling edition. My race began uphill, with a crash on the first day – fortunately with no consequences – and I was not at 100% due to a virus. Nevertheless, it was a crescendo, especially in the second week in Mauritania. I owe Team Guareschi a great deal for the incredible job they did. The Tuareg Rally is fantastic and I felt great on it. In the end, I’m finishing with an overall sixth place, first in the Junior class, and third in the multicylinder class, so I am truly satisfied with the end result. Huge congratulations to my teammates as well.”
VITTORIANO GUARESCHI
“We are truly happy with the way this 2025 edition went. This is a result that confirms how strong our team and the Tuareg Rally are. Everyone gave one hundred percent and Jacopo once again demonstrated that he is an extraordinary champion, tackling every difficulty with great determination. Cecco made an incredible leap forward, and Marco, making his début with the Tuareg, showed that he has great talent.”