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Fenix Rally 2022: new terrains and deeper in the desert for more fun

Fenix Rally 2022 will make you fall in love with the desert and the beautiful country of Tunisia. In 2022, from 12 to 19 march, the rally will go deeper in the heart of the desert where the big dunes reside. Seven rally days, great hotels, delicious food and organizational support in the event management will be at your disposal. You will enjoy the sunsets in the heart of the Sahara Desert and the special sense of freedom and tranquillity. The new edition will contain even more generic desert experience, which will spice up your rally even more. This fairytale is like a paradise on earth.

Photography by Paolo Baraldi

fenix rally 2021 tunisia

Fenix Rally 2022 will make you fall in love with the desert and the beautiful country of Tunisia

Fenix Rally already set a new era of the desert competitions. But in 2022 the race will offer even more challenges with new terrains, after going deeper in the heart of the desert where the big dunes reside. Seven rally days instead of six, great hotels and delicious food, organizational support in the event management will be at disposal of all the competitors and the assistance staff. The new edition will contain even more generic desert experience, which will spice up the rally even more.

What’s new for Fenix 2022? First of all, 7 rally days instead of 6, for more experience and fun. The itinerary includes almost 2300 kilometers, with over 1470 km special stages. For its second edition, the rally will start in Tunis – the capital Tunisia, with official ceremony, which will be supported by many officials and medias.

 

Near the city will be also the first and opening stage, short one directly on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. After that will be the only one long liaison, which will take the caravan of the rally to the city of Douz, where will be the camp for the next 4 days. Finally, the rally bivouac will move in the hearth of the Sahara Desert, for the last two rally legs and the prize giving ceremony.

 

As you already know, Fenix Rally is open to all kinds of vehicles – bikes, quads, SSV, cars and trucks. Drivers with and without motorsport license can join the competition. Mentioning the biggest machines, the second edition of the race will have race trucks class, which is now including several trucks.

fenix rally 2021 tunisia

There are more than 209 competitor teams from 15 nationalities registered in the different classes. This number can still grow, not only from the continuing interest, but also because several other races (like Africa Eco Race, for example) were postponed or cancelled.

 

For the second time, there will be also the Discovery category, which will offer many great tracks and places for the participants, but without the pressure of the timing and speed. All the competitors can count to great rally management, with accurate roadbooks, satellite tracking and first-class medical assistance with 4x4 vehicles and helicopters.

 

Organization is done by the company RBI Sport Ltd. which is the organizer of the biggest off-road rally in Europe and beyond for 2021: the legendary Rallye Breslau. In 2021 there were 404 competitor teams at the start line. Balkan Offroad Rallye in Romania is also on the agenda for September 2022 with expected at least 130 racing teams.

Brief description of the Fenix Rally route

Seven competitive days beginning with a ceremonial start in the city of Tunis, followed by a short opening special stage on the sandy Mediterranean coast.

 

After a long connection and another fast special, the rally arrives to the town of Douz, the gate to Sahara.

 

Three Legs will bring you every day in a different direction, offering various types of dunes, fesh-fesh and nice and fast gravel. Star Wars, the soft white sand of Sabria, the majestic Grand Erg Oriental, the twisty roads with oued crossings around Matmata and the grandiose dunes of Zmela will through you from one element to the other.

 

A long day with all types of desert terrain is needed to take you to a magical oriental oasis with the atmosphere of “1001 nights”.

 

What follows then, for the last two rally days, is the pure beauty of sand in every creation of Mother Nature. Wow! Dare to fly with the Fenix – the doorway to Sahara!

About the organizer RBI Sport Ltd

RBI Sport is a company highly specialized in the field of the motorsports that provides numerous services for event organizers. The main goals that are working principles of the team include top safety, precise detailed touch, and customer service and finally yet importantly full dedication towards problem solving.

 

RBI Sport is on the market for consulting, rally and cross-country rally services for over 10 years and has already proven the top quality of work in Europe and Africa. Numerous references for our work including such as the FIA World Rally Championship and FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rally / Baja are a sign of high level of professionalism and trustfulness.

 

RBI Sport is a leader in providing services for time keeping, tracking and rally control, event management and road book creation. The specialized equipment manufactured under the Geotraq trade mark is a true symbol of safety, fairness, reliability and trust. Since 2018, RBI Sport has expanded the scope of services including consulting and development of ASNs, creation of a company hub in Kenya and providing direct satellite tracking and data communication options for motorsport events.

 

For more information:

www.fenix-rally.com

www.rallye-breslau.com

www.balkanoffroad.net

www.rbi-sport.com

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
At the center Alexander Kovatchev with the local organizing committee

Fenix Rally 2021: the maiden winners

The inaugural edition of Fenix Rally ended with a 110 kilometers of last special stage. After 6 days and more than 1000 kms competitive sections, the race is ready to crown its first winners.

 

Tunisia welcomed the brand new project of RBI Sport and Alex Kovatchev with warm hospitality, full support from the authorities and unbelievable terrains in Sahara and the region around the city of Douz. It was one perfect week with high class organization and all kind of the necessary security and sanitary measures.

 

The last day was really interesting in the car open class in many ways. First of all, the desert rally veteran Jerome Pelichet showed what it means to have long years of experience in cross country competitions. The Frenchman took 6 from 6 stage wins, and won the race with unbelievable advance of 1 hour and 47 minutes to his nearest competitor.

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Jerome Pelichet

The second place went to Agostino Rizzardi and his exotic Porsche proto. The Italian made very good progress during the rally, and pushed in the last stages, to climb on the podium. But even more interesting was the situation with Adam Bomba (BMW) from Poland, who completed the podium just in the last stage, beating the Bulgarian Dessislav Slavchev (Mercedes).

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Agostino Rizzardi
fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Adam Bomba

In the car limited category, it was Laurent Aubouex from France (Mercedes) who won the title in front of the Polish pilot Grzegorz Brochocki (Toyota) and the German Fritz Becker (Toyota). As the teams from this class couldn’t compete with the powerful T1 protos, they showed that you can take such a long rally with a conventional off-road machine, if you have enough courage and are smart on the racetrack.

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Laurent Aubouex
fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Grzegorz Brochocki
fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Fritz Becker

In the most crowded class – those of the SSVs, it was Lionel Baud, who took the maiden victory of Fenix Rally. The pilot from France took 5 from 6 stage wins, behind the wheel of the powerful PH Sport Zephyr, leaving no chance to his opponents with over one hour advance at the finish.

 

Second in the “petite” class became the driver from Netherlands Pelle Moens as Lithuanian Dalius Olechnavicius completed the overall top 3. Both pilots counted on Can-Am vehicles.

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Lionel Baud

In the bike class, there was the Dutchman Bram van der Wouden (Sherco), who eliminate the competition of two French riders: Lionel Mansuy (Sherco) and Romain Muraton (Husaberg). Van der Wouden was very constant and this paid off with more than 2 hours difference with the closest followers.

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Bram van der Wouden

Finally, in the ATV class, it was Lithuanian domination, as Romualdas Karuzis (Can-Am) took the victory of Fenix Rally 2021 and his compatriot Adomas Gancierius (CF Moto) who get the “silver medal”.  The third place was for the Polish rider Mikolaj Krysik (Can-Am).

fenix rally 2021 tunisia
Romualdas Karuzis