JACOPO CERUTTI WINS THE STAGE AND TAKES THE LEAD BOTH OVERALL AND IN THE +650 CLASS
Milan, 29 January 2026 – The Aprilia Tuareg Racing Team and Jacopo Cerutti put in a strong and convincing performance in the fourth stage of the 2026 Africa Eco Race, which concluded with a stage victory for the Italian rider.
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The fourth stage covered a total distance of 487 km and took the riders from Assa to Khnifiss (Morocco) along a demanding route, featuring challenging sections, constant changes of pace, and terrain that rewarded patience. Jacopo Cerutti, riding the Aprilia Tuareg Rally, claimed his first stage victory of the 2026 edition and took over the overall lead. The reigning champion now leads the overall classification with a margin of +4’49’’ over his closest rival and also sits first in the +650 twin-cylinder class.
Marco Menichini continued his progress with a positive stage, finishing in the general classification, eighth overall and sixth in class, +52’08’’ behind. It was a more unfortunate day for Francesco Montanari, who was forced to retire from the stage after hitting some bushes that damaged the Tuareg Rally’s electrical system.
JACOPO CERUTTI, #1: “I managed to maintain a good pace and in the end we caught up with the group ahead. Botturi was the only one to catch me, but he then had a technical issue towards the end. This is my first victory of this 2026 Africa Eco Race and I’m really happy. Even though in some sections I wasn’t able to go as fast as I would have liked, in the end I kept a strong pace and still managed to take the win”.
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To follow the Africa Eco Race 2026, visit the dedicated page on Aprilia.com, with links to the results of each stage:
https://www.aprilia.com/en_EN/aprilia-racing/aprilia-tuareg-racing/africa-eco-race/
AFRICA ECO RACE:
https://www.africarace.com/en
