The start of the Carta Rallye was given this morning on the Plage Blanche, a legendary location featured in many rally raids. The weather, which had slightly worsened over the past few days, remained mild, and under light cloud cover, the first bikers set off at 9 a.m. They started in groups of four, every two minutes, followed a few dozen minutes later by the 4x4s and buggies, and then the SSVs.
At the beginning of the special stage, it’s straightforward: full throttle straight down the beach. However, there are speed limits — enforced throughout the entire rally — for safety reasons: 150 km/h for bikes and 140 km/h for SSVs.
After 25 km along the beach, the route heads into a small canyon — a beautiful area to ride through, but caution is needed, as the track crosses an oued, and getting stuck in the wet, swamp-like patches is a real risk.
Exiting the canyon requires some technical riding, with a trial-style section that leads into an area of small dunes dotted with camel grass — best not to hit those. The route then continues across schotts and plateaus, followed by alternating sections of rocky, fast, and bumpy tracks, gradually becoming smoother and more pleasant toward the end.
Carta Rallye Stage 1 Rankings
- Vitse S. / Delfino M. #101 (Car – MD Buggy): 3:25:06
- Mickus T. / Leskauskas D. #227 (SSV): 3:54:46
- Zosso S. / Zosso C. #202 (SSV): 3:56:46
