This new team - run on behalf of Yamaha by Rebel X Sports with experienced Rally Raid campaigner Manuel Lucchese as Team manager - has been set up to take on the Africa Eco Race (15th-30th October) that takes place on the original Paris-Dakar route. That event will see the Ténéré return to its spiritual home, but first, the team are in Africa to compete in the second edition of the Tunisian Desert Challenge (TDC), with the Yamaha Rally program switching its focus to reconnecting with the genuine spirit of adventure with products that customers can also enjoy.
This event in Tunisia also marks the start of a special partnership between with Riders for Health and Yamaha is proud to be working with the charity to raise awareness of the tremendous work they do in supplying, managing and maintaining motorcycles for health-focused operations in Africa.
The team face a unique challenge as they will be the first to enter the TDC on production bikes. Botturi and Tarres are riding the new Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid, fitted with GYTR parts to make them more suited to the technical demands of competitive rally racing, to showcase the bike's impressive capabilities and racing DNA.
Made up of eight stages and covering over 2,600km, the TDC starts on the beaches in Djerba before moving inland to traverse southern Tunisia, finishing at the iconic film sets from the Star Wars movies in Tozeur. The route involves a mixture of challenging technical sections, fast African plains, epic sand dunes, salt lakes and much more, and should provide a unique challenge for the Ténéré 700 World Raid bikes.
A legend in the world of Rally, 46-year-old Botturi brings with him a wealth of experience, having competed in seven Dakar's with a best-placed finish of eighth and a stage podium to his name. The Italian won the last two editions of the Africa Eco Race and is also a two-time winner of the Rally Sardinia, plus has tasted victory in the Transanatolia and Merzuoga Rallies. Botturi is making his TDC debut in 2022 and is relishing the prospect of competing in Tunisia on the Ténéré 700 World Raid.
In comparison, his teammate Tarres is making his Rally debut at the TDC. However, the 28-year-old has competed at the highest level in Trials and Enduro, plus he is also well-known for his gravity-defying "Seeker" videos on YouTube. Despite his inexperience, the Spaniard is excited to begin his first Rally and showcase his skills in the desert, although he knows there is a steep learning curve ahead of him.
The Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team kicks off the Tunisia Desert Challenge on Friday the 22nd of April with the 60km Prologue in Djerba that decides the starting positions for Saturday's Stage 1.
