Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles

Nadia MANTIN and Sophie GASTINE, Team 133 - THE FRENCH HOUSE : "We are together again like in 2007. Since then we have had 4th and 5th place finishes respectively, with other teammates, and now that we are together again we plan to do even better!"  explains Sophie Gastine, "But now that we're here, we plan to enjoy ourselves!"

Jeannette and Anne Marie, Team 129 - MERCEDES BENZ, talk about their vehicle: "The advantage of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter is that we are higher, we can see further, we can anticipate the terrain better, but in terms of the engine we have the same power as the other 4X4s. On the other hand the truck's weight is a disadvantage (2.5 tons) especially since it is concentrated in front over the cabin, it's a real problem especially on side slopes". An impressive sight as it makes its way through the desert, the Sprinter is going to take the Gazelles to the finish line and beyond…

"To do the best we can", this is the slogan of Team 107 (Amy LERNER and Tricia REINA - THE FLORAL DEPARTMENT), an American team of sisters (from New Jersey and California respectively) who are in Morocco for the first time to take part in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. The two sisters are surprised by Morocco's modern cities, heving expected to find themselves in straight in the desert! The competition will be an opportunity for them to discover Morocco at the wheel of their 4x4.

Team Total at the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2011  is made up of 7 teams from 6 different countries, each proudly representing its local Total subsidiary.  This year Total decided to represent these countries in a whole new way. The wrap of each vehicle features the national animal of the country. None were chosen at random: an eagle for Nigeria, a crocodile for Congo and the famous lion for Cameroon. Fanta and Franky-Nadège of Team 157 are proud of their lion, which to them symbolizes the example to follow: "We want to be like him, roaring and courageous: our goal is a high position in the ranking!". It seems to be working: they finished the prologue in 7th place with only 4.89 points, indicating good things to come. All the more so because, before confronting the desert, they had to rise to the first challenge of a rigourous selection process within the Exploration-Production section of Total Cameroon, an internal operation aimed at promoting Total's African subsidiaries and  the potential of its female employees. Rallye partner for 14 years, Total shares the social and environmental values upheld by the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, in particular through its support of the  Heart of Gazelles Medical Caravan, a team of 38 dedicated volunteers working in parallel with the competition to provide free medical care to the women and children in the nearby villages. A global commitment that these teams intend to stand up for out on the terrain!