Aprilia is ready to defend their Africa Eco Race (AER) title which they won on their first attempt on the Tuareg 660.
The Noale-based manufacturer took the victory of the 15th AER race in January this year, which saw Jacopo Cerutti beating the favourite pairing of Pol Tarres and Alesssandro Botturi on the Yamaha Tenere T7.
Aprilia’s commitment to theAER followed an encouraging result in the Tuareg 660’s debut race in the 2023 Transanatolia Rally (TAR). Although Yamaha took the win, Aprilia finished third with Francesco Montanari riding.
Aprilia had also won the Italian Motorally Championship with Cerutti in 2023, apart from the Africa Eco Race and Transanatolia Rally. The team will also defend this title.
Jacopo Cerutti said during the announcement of the project, “We won on our debut, so expectations are high. The goal is to win the Italian Championship again and strive for the best possible performance in Africa. I started training immediately after the Africa Eco Race, and I feel in good shape for the new season.”
Francesco Montanari added: “I am training and preparing as hard as possible. I hope to repeat last year’s performance and improve my results, especially in the Africa Eco Race. We are also determined for the Italian Championship, and I’ll try to do my best.”
The project is now called Aprilia Tuareg Racing and is even more ambitious than before, with them competing in:
- Africa Eco Race is scheduled for 28 December 2024 – 12 January 2025.
- Italian Motorally Championship begins on 20 April.
- Hellas Rally Raid from 24 May – 2 June
- Transanatolia Rally scehduled for 31 August – September 7.
Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, said: “After such an extraordinary debut last year, both in Italy and in Africa, expectations are very high. The goal is to confirm our leadership in this new sector. We have a historic and important name as Tuareg, and to see such a beautiful and powerful motorcycle in its natural habitat is a source of pride for Noale.”
