JACOPO CERUTTI IS SECOND AT THE FINISH LINE IN MAURITANIA AND MAINTAINS THE LEADERSHIP IN THE STANDINGS

EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE FOR ROOKIE FRANCESCO MONTANARI AS WELL, FINISHING FIFTH FOR HIS BEST PLACEMENT YET IN THE RALLY

After the well-deserved day of rest, the Africa Eco Race resumed yesterday with the sixth leg, from Dakhla, Morocco, to Chami, Mauritania. Both the Aprilia Tuaregs, entrusted to Jacopo Cerutti and a Francesco Montanari, were once again great protagonists, with Cerutti second and still leading the overall standings, and rookie Montanari putting in an outstanding performance, fifth with his best result since the start of the rally. 

In the 204 km of today’s special trials, Cerutti once again battled with his direct rivals in the standings, Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarres. The rider from Como reached the destination in second place, just 1’07” behind the Spaniard and 45” ahead of Botturi. In the overall standings, the three-way battle gets more thrilling by the moment, with Cerutti’s Tuareg maintaining the lead at 1’58” over Tarres and 3 minutes ahead of Botturi, both on Yamahas.

For Aprilia, it was another picture perfect day, with both Tuaregs at the top thanks to Francesco Montanari’s fifth place, just 3’58” behind the winner. The rider from Como, in his very first raid of such an extraordinarily demanding calibre, thereby took his best result since the start of the race, also moving up to sixth place in the overall standings.

The seventh leg is scheduled for today, where the route will follow a ring-shaped path that starts and ends in Chami, for a total of 475 km, including 454 special trials.

For updates on all the news, follow the web page
www.aprilia.com/it_IT/aprilia-racing/aprilia-tuareg-rally/africa-eco-race/

JACOPO CERUTTI
“It was a strange leg. A large part of the route was straight but it was hard to identify the track and that made navigation complicated. In these conditions, I preferred managing the race without taking too many risks, so second place is fine; I didn’t lose much ground on my adversaries. We are already looking forward to today’s leg!”

FRANCESCO MONTANARI
“The route wasn’t one of the most thrilling ones, with lots of straight lines at high speed, but navigation was not at all simple, especially at the end, so I can consider myself satisfied. I didn’t make many mistakes and I navigated well, consistently maintaining a good pace.”

Riding a motorcycle will offer you a unique experience that feels unlike any other.

Although driving a bike comes with the benefits of easier parking, speed and low fuel costs, it also has an increased risk associated with it. Motorcycles are more exposed to accidents, and statistics show that each year, a high number of motorcycle riders are seriously injured or killed. For example, in 2020, the number of motorcyclists killed reached 4,308 in Great Britain. 

Image source - Image by Freepik 

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Sunday 21^st January
9am – 5pm
 
Having first met at the Ace in January 1952, Ace Cafe London’s annual AJS & Matchless Day, this year celebrates the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the “Jampot” Owners Club at the cafe!
 
 See you at the Ace!

JACOPO CERUTTI TAKES THE FOURTH LEG OF THE AFRICA ECO RACE TO STRENGTHEN HIS GRIP ON FIRST PLACE IN THE OVERALL STANDINGS

FRANCESCO MONTANARI ALSO IMPROVES, EIGHTH IN THE LEG AND IN THE OVERALL STANDINGS

Aprilia Tuareg and Jacopo Cerutti confirm their extraordinary form once again in the fourth leg of the Africa Eco Race. The longest stage of the entire race, with its 472.41 km including 467.36 of special trials, had the riders competing in Morocco from Oued Draa to Fort Chacal in the outskirts of Laayoune. A route immersed in breathtaking scenery, with fast sections alternating with long stretches of navigation through the desert.

Cerutti got the better of his direct rivals, Pol Tarres, at a gap of 2 minutes, and Alessandro Botturi, more than 4 minutes behind the Aprilia rider at the finish. For Jacopo, this is the third win out of four legs held, an impeccable streak. The podium today reflects the situation in the overall standings, with Cerutti in the lead over Tarres (+08:55) and Botturi (+10:22).

Francesco Montanari is also steadily improving, in his début in big raids, eighth today with the second Tuareg in the race and eighth in the overall standings.

The convoy will remain in Morocco today as well for the fifth leg, from Fort Chacal to Dakhla on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. There will be 592.6 total kilometres, 404.06 of which special trials, ahead of a well-deserved day of rest for teams and riders.

JACOPO CERUTTI
"Fantastic leg yesterday. The route was spectacular and I did a long section with Tarres and Botturi after catching up with them around km 200. The tracks were fast, less bumpy than the past few days, and that allowed me to ride well and to have fun, even if navigation was rather demanding. Now we prepare for today’s leg ahead of the well-deserved day of rest and the transfer to Mauritania."

FRANCESCO MONTANARI
"A good day. I navigated well throughout the day but I was rather far forward towards the end and there were no tracks to follow, so I lost a bit of time. In any case, the potential is there. We need to avoid mistakes and exploit the opportunities that arise."

To many, motorcycle tours are the best ways to make the most of your bike. Some look for massive stretches of open road, while others seek the windy tracks up and across mountain ranges. For some, plotting these tours can be tricky – especially if you don’t want to follow one of the organised routes from tour companies.

What can help is coming up with a theme for your tour. That way, you home in on the selection of places that you can visit, and as it’s all from a theme, you add a bit of extra purpose to the trip. Here, we’re proposing ones based on hit TV shows that are not only popular shows, but will also take you to some incredible places.

Famed period drama set between Reading and Bath

Its TV run many have ended in 2015, but Downton Abbey is still revered as a near-immaculate British gem, powered by impeccable acting and a terrifically posh setting. The period drama even managed to earn itself several Emmy nominations over in the US, cementing it as a favourite both across the pond and at home. Now, from its storylines to its sets, it boasts an incredible legacy.

Downton Abbey – Official Trailer

So, it won’t come as a surprise that Downton Abbey has escaped the bounds of the TV screen and leapt further into pop culture. Of course, it was able to sidestep into other entertainment mediums. Downton Abbey has even found its way into iGaming, becoming one of the most popular slots at the top community site for bingo online. It’s got wilds, free spins, and the smashing Grantham Cup Jackpot is up for grabs!

For teeing up your real-world Downton Abbey adventure, you’ll need to turn your attention to a circular route that runs from outside Thatcham, down to Andover, over to near Corsham, up to Swindon, further on to Asthall, over to Witney, towards Didcot, and round to Thatcham. This road trip will take you to all of the most iconic locations, including Highclere Castle, Basildon Park, Lacock, The Old Forge in Shilton, and the Avebury stone circle.

Game of Thrones captured the attention of millions of people around the world, but it just didn’t stick the landing, or whatever comes a season before the landing. Still, you’ll continue to find tour groups venturing to the old filming locations. People still go to Northern Ireland, Iceland, and Croatia to see those locations. Instead of that, maybe turn to the revival of the Westeros setting with the very well received House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon Season 2 | Official Teaser

The series set over a century before the events of Game of Thrones and was filmed in some superb locations, many of which are in the UK. 
Holywell Beach, St. Michael’s Mount, and Kynance Cove all feature in the show and can be found in Cornwall, or you could go to Surrey to find the set for the opening tourney. In Season 2, Gwynedd and Anglesey in Wales feature in the backgrounds, and they returned to Surrey, only this time for Bourne Woods.

So, will you be riding out into the classic setting of Downton Abbey, or will you be off to the fantasy realms of House of the Dragon?

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