Race Report
03 May 2009 - Finish!
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION (AUTO MOTO/QUAD)
RACE DAY BY DAY!
Click HERE
16 of April 2009 - Everything is ready for DEPARTURE!
NPO team and all competitors are on the finish line of race preparations and formalities!
20th of April - Marseille, Port - the meeting point and Boarding of competitors on the Boat CARTHAGE.
Find the details of boarding, technical checks and last reminders in Practical info (click on Race Menu)!
8 April 2009 - Rally Press-Conference in Paris!
During the Press-conference the NPO team revealed the Route, provisional list of competitors and other important information.
Route:
The 2009 Rally OiLibya of Tunisia will happen in the heart of big spaces through the Tunisian and Libyan ergs. Placed under the sign of sand, this edition will be magical with the quality of a completely track renewed and with the show offered.
On 4,500 km, the race will offer all the diversity of Africa with 11 stages of high requirements. A good technic of driving, a sharpened direction of navigation and a perfect management of a race will be two of many key elements to reach its ambitions. Professionals and amateurs will be able to find the good rythm to take advantage of each moment.
Route description, mileage and map you can find on Race Menu - choose and click it on the right side of this page.
Competitors:
A high level of competition is guarantee because of well-known competitors in all categories!
In Car category, French best pilots including Jean-Louis Schlesser, Eric Vigoroux, Christian Lavielle, Nicolas Misslin, BMW X-Raid team with 3 race cars - Guerlain Chicherit, Russian Leonid Novitskiy and Orlando Terranova will have a strong sport battle for results.
In Mororcycle category it will be KTM "stars" Marc Coma, Cyril Despres, also David Casteu, Fransisco Lopez, Jordi Villadom and other professional riders.
Russia will be presented with 3 race cars and one race quad:
307 - Leonid Novitskiy / Oleg Tyupenkin (X-Raid Russia, BMW X3CC T1)
322 - Artem Varentsov / Roman Elagin (Georaid-RSG, Toyota T2)
323 - Igor Bondarev / Alexander Gorelov (Georaid-RSG, Toyota T2)
Quad 202 - Vladimir Marugov (Nomade Racing).
The full Provisional list of competitors on 10of April you can find on Race Menu - choose and click on right side of this Page.
4 Febraury 2009 - Presentation in Paris!
The Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009 is planned in "cinemascope" through Tunisian and Libyan ergs. This
sand-surrounded rally is all set to be magical, both in terms of the quality of an entirely new route and the
grand spectacle itself.
Covering 4,500 km, the race will include all the diversity of Africa, with 11 demanding stages where driving
technique, navigational art and good race management will be determining factors for both professionals
and amateurs alike.
A major competition in the 2009 sporting calendar
On the calendars of the FIA Cross-Country World Cup and FIM World Championships for motorbikes and quads
the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009 will allow all competitors to express their driving talents and demonstrate their
off-road sense of direction.
Alongside the "traditional" rally categories, NPO has maintained the "Enduro Cup" (first mount motorbikesquads,
with refuelling every 90km) and "Classe Open" (Autos-SSV-Trucks with basic preparation) categories,
and, for the first time ever, will count towards the "Wildcat Trophy".
A new title sponsor
An international oil Group established in 22 African countries, LIBYA OIL HOLDINGS LTD has associated with
NPO to develop the reputation of its OIL LIBYA network through the international image of the Tunisia Rally.
With the buyout of the Exxon and Mobil networks, OIL LIBYA now represents over 25% of the retail market in
Tunisia. From next April over 200 service stations will bear the name OIL LIBYA.
The group is also increasing development in the fields of exploration, production and gas and oil refining.
A "magical" route with 11 first-time African stages!
For the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009, competitors meet in Marseille to load their vehicles on board ship.
Administrative checks will start in the ship and technical checks will take place in Tunis, "on the seaside".
The OiLibya Rally will set off after a huge celebration in Tunis with a super-special stage on the beach. Competitors
will then head for the desert, facing 6 further stages in Tunisia and 4 in Libya!
There will be very few link routes: 6 stages will set off and arrive from camp to camp, without ever seeing tarmac.
This 2009 rally is a demanding event but will remain accessible to all. In case of missed waypoints or mechanical
problems, time penalties will be levied but no competitors will be dismissed from the race. Every competitor can set
off again the next morning: the OiLibya rally is still a 100% pleasure Rally-Raid! In case of abandonment,
motorbikes will be transported by NPO back to Tunis and riders who wish will be carried free of charge from camp
to camp to follow the end of the rally.
In Libya a marathon stage of 850km over 2 days is planned, with a drivers' camp without assistance staff or
motorbike trunks. Course management will be essential for both professionals and amateurs alike. The reward is a 100% off-road track through the dunes of the Ouari erg, with the discovery of 5 lakes surrounded by dunes. Sand,
from morning to night ... as far as the eye can see!
Meanwhile, assistance vehicles will have a "reserved" camp where everyone will be kept informed of race events.
Note that the daily routes taken by assistance vehicles have been considerably limited and take only tarred roads.
The Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009: an "All in" rally
From loading to unloading of vehicles in Marseille everything is taken care of: boat transport, accommodation,
lunches, dinners, prize giving - everything is included in the entrance fee. This is a surprise-free budget that saves
time too (no bookings, money transferred abroad, searching for hotels ....), allowing you more time to concentrate
on preparing the race itself.
Small budget? Choose the "ENDURO CUP" option!
This is a category reserved for motorbikes and quads, defined as a simple, low-cost springboard towards a rally
raid. For experienced Enduro bikers or quad riders or just those wanting to discover new horizons, the "Enduro
Cup" will convince even the most hesitant.
This category is open to "Enduro" type motorbikes and quads still in original configuration. Motorbikes must be
mass-produced in at least 200 bikes, in full compliance with the sales catalogue of the manufacturer's series and
be sold normally through commercial outlets. In order to enable driving in original configuration, the organisers
have set up fuel supplies every 90km. So there's no need for large tanks or specific suspension. The only technical
formality required by the organisers concerns the installation of a road-book roller and, of course, assembly of
regulation safety equipment (Klaxon Sentinel, Iritrack system, unik GPS and distress signal).
Spotlight on ... "CLASSE OPEN"!
The "Classe Open" category is open to all vehicle types: SSV, Buggys, Protos and 4x4.... It is for older racing
vehicles, which cannot be accepted in the T1 or T2 category but which do meet a number of extremely precise
safety criteria, including an additional tank (minimum autonomy of 800km), a roll bar, bucket seats, harnesses, an
extinguisher, etc. Vehicle preparation is therefore "simplified". "Classe Open" is perfect for raiders who are still
hesitating about entering a race and auto sport enthusiasts who dream of Africa but who do not have a large
budget. Competitors in the "Classe Open" will live the same adventure as "Rally" entrants: same route, same roadbook,
same safety facilities along the 11 stages and over 4,500km of pure pleasure in the heart of the Tunisian and
Libyan deserts.
"WILDCAT TROPHY" 2009 - under starter's orders
The first round of the "Wildcat Trophy" will be held at the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009. This trophy is for
competitors entering at the wheel of a Bowler Wildcat and is above all a race within a race. It's a time for all
competitors to gauge themselves and jostle for places in overall ranking with the same arms at their disposal. It's a
virile, friendly fight but the spirit of assisting others remains a priority. At all the competitions counting for the
Wildcat Trophy the best drivers in the general ranking are awarded prizes (cups + prize money). At the end of the
season, when all the rounds are completed, the final ranking designates the driver who will be awarded the trophy
for the best driver of the year. In 2008, Patrick Syrejol came just ahead of Jérôme Pélichet. For the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009, Wildcat Trophy entrants benefit from certain advantages, specifically a 1,000 euros reduction on the
entrance fees for the Rally category. The top three in the trophy ranking will be awarded cups and cash prizes to be
used for NPO events.
NPO Rallies become 200% "NATURE APPROVED"
In addition to its traditional "clean camps" actions, NPO will ensure for the very first time that polluting emissions
are 200% compensated. All polluting emissions from all the organisers' vehicles (cars, trucks, planes, helicopters,
etc.) will be compensated by participation in a re-forestation project. Competitors will be made aware of this
problem and given the opportunity of compensating for their own polluting emissions (using calculations based on
fuel consumption and tyre changes).
All participating vehicles will be "Nature Approved" certified and will bear a specific logo.
Safety, ever at the heart of NPO concerns
In addition to Irritrack systems (geographic positioning in real time and satellite telephone link with the race CP) and
Sentinel (overtaking alarm), all motorbikes and quads will be fitted by NPO, free of charge, with an individual
distress signal.
20 doctors, 4 4x4 tangos, 2 Amis motorbikes, 4 helicopters, 2 planes, 2 24hour race control posts, 2 advanced
medical units, 2 sweeper trucks, 3 CP vehicles, 7 supply vehicles and assistance from the Tunisian and Libyan
military will all be used to ensure that the race goes to plan.
VIP or Accompanier Trips to live the rally adventure without actually taking part!
NPO is offering several types of trips so that this exhilarating adventure can be shared. From the "accompanier" trip
for families to meet with their "hero" at the start line in Tunis or on arrival in Tozeur through to a VIP, multi-activity
trip : 4x4 driving along the rally route, quad expedition, camp discovery, meetings with the champions ... there's
something for everyone to find their ideal way of living "their own" adventure ....
Dates to remind:
Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009, From 22 April to 2 May 2009.
- 6th April 2009 : closure of registrations
- 20th April : Boarding in Marseille
- 21st and 22nd April 2009 : Administrative checks in the Boat, technical scrutineering and super spécial
- 23rd April to 2nd May 2009 : 10 Stages
- 2nd May 2009 : Prize Giving night ceremony
All informations available on www.npo.fr