The Rally in Tunisia Kicked Off with Mild Chaos: Delays, Downpours, and a Faulty Roadbook

The seven-day Fenix Rally began on Friday in Tunisia, featuring two athletes from the CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team. Nearly 90 competitors lined up at the start, set to cover a total of 2,756 kilometers. However, problems began even before the first engines were fired up.

Just days before the rally, organizers announced that heavy rains had swept across the desert, flooding parts of the route and making them impassable. As a result, the race plan had to be adjusted. Delays also mounted due to a late-arriving participants’ ferry, which pushed back other pre-race processes and the start of the opening stage itself.

“The day started later than planned, so we ended up with some nighttime liaisons. Overall, everything went fairly well, but the brand-new digital roadbook was frustrating — it still needs improvements. Hopefully, it’ll work better tomorrow or the day after,” said Antanas Kanopkinas after the first stage.

Another team rider, Gaetan Martinez, also noted that the biggest challenges of the day were the significantly delayed start and the malfunctioning roadbook, which this year is being used in digital form for the first time at the Fenix Rally. “The start was delayed because organizers wanted to ensure everything worked smoothly. Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite — nothing worked, and so far, they’ve only found a temporary solution,” he explained.

The athletes began the first special stage around 1 p.m., facing more than 400 kilometers of liaison and timed section. The tracks were quite slippery, but both team members completed the route without any major issues.