Zoom

In the ultimate special race, there was only 12 seconds separating Dominique Housieaux's Schlesser Buggy and the incredible Trophy Truck Chevrolet driven by Eric Vigouroux and Alex Winocq. In fact there was only 35 minutes between the first five competitors of the car category. Terranova-Palmer (BMW X3) the Argentinean/Australian team managed the feat of staying top of their category for a few days.

The ex European champion, Polish Krzystof Holowczyc in his Nissan Pickup fought to the finish against the Russian Leonid Novitskiy (Mitsubishi) and the famous Proto Dessoude (Christian Lavieille et François Borsotto.) Once in Libya, the Schlesser buggies took control, duelling the BMW X3 (Terranova) and Eric Vigouroux's Trophy Truck across the Oubari erg. Unfortunately the young Argentinean had to give up just a few kms from Ksar Ghilane following a radiator problem. Housieaux et Vigouroux were left to fight it out on the last leg of the race.

The team made it after a perfect run enabling Dominique Housieaux to have his first victory in his 17 year career. Also enabling Schlesser to write his name in gold letters in the Rallye de Tunisie's history. Second: Eric Vigouroux and the reliable Chevrolet Trophy Truck. Christian Lavieille (Proto Dessoude) in third and Krzysztof Holowczyc (Nissan Pickup) fourth in the overall. In the T2 category for production cars, the Russian team Ivanov et Kuzmich (Nissan Patrol), and their Kazak friends Ardavichus et Berezovskiy also in Nissan Patrols took the lead positons. Sireyjol-Vidal were first in the Bowler, ninth in the FlA overall. Open Category saw Français Hugounenq and Coste for Desert Warrior in the lead.

Pain…coming fast
It was always going to be a challenge between the small 450's and the big ones. But also a fight between the big three: Yamaha, Honda and KTM. Marchini, Pisano, Pain and Bianchi Prata (Yamaha 450), up against Bethys (Honda), Polli and Watt (KTM). The Competition was beautiful. Although he had been leading from the start Michel Marchini had to surrender to engine trouble, in El Borma. Same, for Thierry Berthys, just a few km from the Ksar Ghilane arrival. The Italian Oscar Polli (KTM 690) broke his chain on the last leg, receding to fourth.

Olivier Pain (Yamaha) shows us his extraordinary skills throughout this long race and promises an interesting future. He even afforded to sacrifice time in his ultimate leg to play safe and help his team mate Mickael Pisano find his way, thus getting HFP and Yamaha to stand high on the podium. Stan Watt (KTM 690) was over the moon to be third at the overall, having been the most regular all along the race and second time on the podium after Marocco last September.