22eme édition - du 17 au 31 mars 2012
Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles
La référence féminine depuis 1990
Speaking with the Gazelles
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Speaking with the Gazelles
A lesson in humility
The "Robinsons" alias Karine and Anne of Team 142 - LABORATOIRES GENEVRIER have received a good lesson in humility during their 1st participation: "We arrived confident and sure of ourselves, but once we got here we lost all our bearings. But we are learning quickly! The second Rallye must be much easier and more fun! Day 1 was a catastrophe, Day 2 a bit better, Day 3 we started to figure it out and Day 4… in the dunes, new experiences, it's really an amazing moment!"
Adventures of Leg 5 (marathon) #3
Sandrine and Christine make up Team Etam (171). They have been having problems navigating since day 1. "We have the impression that we're in a reality TV show! But I didn't think it would be this hard," complains Christine. "Even though it's not a speed rally, we're running all the time."
"We were looking for adventure, and we found it!" jokes Sandrine. "But in the end, everyone lives the Rallye at their own level, - for us, just getting back to the bivouac is a challenge! We don't have the pressure of the rankings or sponsors, we are living it like a gift."
Adventures of Leg 5 (marathon) #2
For Team 143 - ALANDIA, this first marathon leg started badly with a fuel supply problem: "We had to call the mechanics; they took it apart - we had dented the tank and blocked the fuel exit. Later we went to cross Oued ZIZ and we got bogged down in a gorge where there was water. We could barely get out of the truck... It was dark... But this experience has brought Gilda and me closer" says Patricia, "That's what I remember the most about it. I'm a chicken in real life, I have low self-confidence, and the Rallye is helping me, I am trying more things, like driving in the Merzouga dunes this year..." "It's the opposite for me," Gilda tells us. "I thought I would be better - I'm going to go home a humbler person, my husband will be happy!"
Adventures of Leg 5 (marathon) #1
It is 10:00 on the first day of the first marathon leg when Team 165 - ALLIANCE 4 calls for mechanical assistance: the car is stuck sideways on a rocky ridge 1 km from CP1.
"This is my second Rallye" says Brigitte Romagny, "and I had never needed to call for assistance... This time I convinced my neighbour Valérie to be my copilot. I promised her that we would get back to the bivouac every night... then we spent the first night outside! It just goes to show that every edition is different! The first year I found out what it means to really surpass yourself. When I got home, I was energised for 6 months. I manage a small company, and the Rallye showed me that it is possible to push your limits. It's become a real drug for me, I'm going to try do it every 2 years, until I'm 65... Despite our problems today, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!"
"This is my second Rallye" says Brigitte Romagny, "and I had never needed to call for assistance... This time I convinced my neighbour Valérie to be my copilot. I promised her that we would get back to the bivouac every night... then we spent the first night outside! It just goes to show that every edition is different! The first year I found out what it means to really surpass yourself. When I got home, I was energised for 6 months. I manage a small company, and the Rallye showed me that it is possible to push your limits. It's become a real drug for me, I'm going to try do it every 2 years, until I'm 65... Despite our problems today, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!"
From the Students Challenge to the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles
Stéphanie (Team 145 - GAN) and her father took part in the Students Challenge on board an R5 in 2009. Seduced by the desert and the adventure, she had no intention of stopping there.
Which worked out well, because her father Philippe lived up to the deal he made with his daughter: if she succeeded in her studies, he would rebuild her 1979 BJ.
And the team's Toyota, the second oldest vehicle at the Rallye, is as good as new. Proud of their vehicle, Stéphanie and her copilot Mélinda treat it with care, even as they tackle the X route of the Merzouga dunes.
But they are not here for the rankings, which they don't even look at: "Our goal is to get our BJ to Essaouira and to cross the finish line!" We wish her success and an excellent Rallye!
Comment from a Gazelle
"In the evening it's almost a pleasure to go see the mechanics: everyone is so nice, we bring them our vehicle all damaged from a day of racing and the next day, it's like new - or at least ready to go again. They really perform miracles!"
A dream come true
Mélanie, of Team 180 - AGRI 33, has dreamed of doing the Rallye des Gazelles ever since she spent 3 weeks off-roading in Libya. Now her dream has come true - she and her copilot are in the middle of Erg Chebbi… "We knew that in coming here we would end up crying from exhaustion, despair, happiness... but theory is one thing, and living it is another!" Adding, "There are highs - very very high -and lows - very very low - but we wouldn't want to be anywhere else!"
Under the patronage of his majesty King Mohammed VI