Initially formed in 2022 to compete in rallies onboard the Ténéré 700 World Raid, the team got off to the perfect start by winning their debut event as Botturi secured the overall victory at the Tunisia Desert Challenge (TDC). This was the first win for a production-based bike against its prototype rivals in a rally raid, and since then, they have won their class at every event they have entered.
They followed up their TDC victory with a record-breaking performance at the 2022 Africa Eco Race (AER), where Tarrés became the first rider to complete the entire rally on a twin-cylinder adventure bike, and Botturi made it a 1-2 in class after an incredible fightback.
Botturi then had to miss the Moroccan Desert Challenge in April due to a scheduling conflict with the Italian Motorally Championship, in which he is fighting for the title. Still, Tarrés claimed his maiden rally raid podium with third overall while securing another 1-2 in class alongside his fill-in teammate Rodney Faggotter.
Tarrés then took another class win at the Hellas Rally in May after finishing fourth overall, where he competed as a lone rider, but now the team is back to full strength for the first time since the AER and ready for a completely different kind of race.
Kicking off with a ceremonial start in the famous city of Samsun by the Black Sea on the north-east coast of Turkey, the rally traverses the entire width of the country. It passes through 17 provinces and covers over 2,300km during seven stages before ending in Izmir by the Aegean Sea on the west coast.
While it is a new event for Tarrés, Botturi has competed in the rally before, securing three consecutive podium finishes between 2013 and 2015, including storming to a sensational victory in 2014, and his experience will prove vital as the TransAnatolia represents a different rally from anything the team have taken on before.
Contradictory to the AER, the route crosses several mountain ranges with an average altitude of 1506m. Rocky paths and gravel trails are the order of the day in Turkey, providing a complete contrast to the dunes of the desert for the team and their GYTR-kitted Ténéré 700 World Rally bikes.
Despite making his TransAnatolia debut, Tarrés is confident he can adapt quickly to the different conditions, just as he did at the Hellas Rally in Greece. However, he is still not quite fully fit after recovering from a leg injury he sustained while competing in the Red Bull Romaniacs just over a month ago.
At the TransAnatolia, Tarrés and Botturi will also face some stiff competition as more and more follow the Ténéré World Raid Team’s example and look to compete on production-based adventure bikes, with the B2 class at the TransAnatolia open to any machine with a capacity of between 451cc and 700cc.
During the rally, the team will be joined by three Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) customers. The TSE is a new project for Yamaha in 2023, which allows Ténéré owners to live and breathe the rally raid lifestyle alongside the official team.
Taking part in the Raid category, they will ride sections of each stage while following a route parallel to the Rally class but without the stress of racing against the clock. This gives them the chance to experience the adventure of a lifetime with the full support of the Ténéré World Raid Team but without any pressure, allowing them to fuel their desire to enter a competitive rally in the future. To find out more information on the TSE, click here.
The TransAnatolia officially gets underway on Saturday, the 2nd of September, with the official start in Samsun before the action kicks off properly on Sunday with Stage 1.
