On Sunday in Tunisia, the Fenix Rally was started, where participants compete on motorcycles, quads, SSV and cars. The introductory stage of the competition was marked by rollovers and even fire, but the Lithuanian DUO from CFMOTO Factory Racing Team avoided surprises and successfully reached the finish of the first day.
Got a portion of dust
Heat, sand, dunes, dust and an endless desert. The CFMOTO Factory Racing Team, which started in the Fenix Rally, faced such conditions today. They had to cover almost one and a half hundred kilometers today. Both Antanas Kanopkinas and Adomas Gančierius managed the first leg really smoothly and did not bring any extra work for the mechanics.
"Hard day today. There were a few long straights, maybe ten kilometers or more. Then everything was just covered in dunes. We made little navigational mistakes, but we weren’t wrong by far. There was a lot of dust. The most important thing was not to crash into someone in that dust, because really there were moments you could not see anything. Caution had to be taken in such moments. I didn’t want to end the race there. We didn’t do much damage to the vehicles, I got a flat tire, but all was good in the end. Now it`s time to rest and wait for what the organizers have prepared for tomorrow, ”said Antanas Kanopkinas.
The ATV was in flames
Another CFMOTO Factory Racing Team member Adomas Gančierius said that there were those in the desert today who had much more serious problems than a punctured wheel. For Adomas himself, the day went smoothly. Navigation in the dunes did not appear difficult either, although mistakes could not be completely avoided.
“It all went like a knife through butter. In only one place, on the gravel road, in the dust, I made a wrong turn and that was a small mistake. I lost maybe two, three minutes. Very hot. Maybe I put on too much clothes. One layer of clothes will have to be removed tomorrow. I did not get stuck, my ATV ran perfectly, so the thoughts after the first speed section are positive. Although for some id did not go so well. Tomas Mickus, as far as I could see had a rollover, some damage was done to the roadbook. "One Polaris ATV broke its belt and it burned down completely," said Adomas Gančierius.
So far, the organizers have not provided official results, but the preliminary minutes of the first day show that Antanas Kanopkinas is ranked fifth in the ATV standings, and Adomas Gančierius is positioned lower.
On the second day of the Fenix Rally, participants will have a two-part speed section. After the first section and 113 kilometers, participants will have a remote service area and will be able to take a break. After that, they will have another 73 kilometers. Most of the route will again consist of sand and dunes in the desert wilderness.
