Pilots Interviews

Pilots Miniviews

Christian LAVIEILLE (FRANCE) - CAR
Christian Lavieille will fight on the front lines!
World Champion of Endurance Bike, Christian Lavieille is the finest example of polyvalent in terms of competition in motorsports. After a brilliant motorcycle career and winning prestigious titles, the original Lyonnais chose to switch to four wheels some years ago. Cumulant experiments circuit, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and rally raid, in 2006 he became World Champion of Cross-Country Rallies category Production. A decisive season in the Team Dessoude which has proved its potential and has opened the way to the premium category. Twice winner of the Rally of the Pharaohs, Christian finished 2nd in the Rally of Tunisia in 2007 and 3rd last year. This means that knows and appreciates this event: "I am eager to meet me at the outset. My only fear is that the Libyan route I hope the tracks will not be too fast, ... The car is strong on the technical parts, but the lack of speed of the fast penalizes us. The competition will be severe and it will have to stay on guard. As the course is relatively long, it will address a bit like the Dakar, but riding on a faster pace ... without committing an error! .
For the 2009 edition of the Rally of Tunisia OiLibya, Christian finds Jean-Paul Forthomme, very experienced navigator include 14 participations to the Dakar and many races of the World Cup. Jean-Paul, a surgeon, has already sailed many drivers like Hubert Auriol, Kenjiro Shinozuka or Thierry Magnaldi. With Christian, the current is passed immediately. The calm temperament of its pilot and his professionalism was immediately seduced. On this rally of Tunisia, the duo will be formidable and will eliminate the immense disappointment of Dakar where Proto 05 is up in smoke in a few seconds.

Nicolas MISSLIN - CAR
The "Come Back" of Nicolas Misslin Marseillais ... driving a Mitsubishi MPR13!
After five years, far from the African trails and magic rally raids, Nicolas Misslin revives a discipline, where just 20 years old, he already excelled ... Nicolas displays its ambitions and expects to return on the podium. To achieve this goal, Jean-Michel Polato, will take its place alongside the Marseillais. The co-pilot with experience, knows his business ... and the pitfalls to avoid. Motivated and enthusiastic as ever as always, Nicolas Misslin and Jean-Michel Polato are impatient with the idea of being together in the big sandbox ... To be, from April 22 ...

Alessandro DE PETRI (ITALIE) - BIKE
Alessandro DE PETRI .... "Ciro" is back!
How good and pleasant surprise to find Alessandro de Petri in the race! Winner of the
Rally of Tunisia in 1988 and 1989, while his career as a pilot was at the highest level,
"Ciro" as it calls it, now no longer really the same motivations. "At the hell: the scratch and
worry daily ranking. If I come back today, it is primarily for pleasure and to support a
project that is dear to my heart. "Indeed, the amount of sales of the book devoted to it,"
Dakar Borderline "contant ten years of his races in Africa, is paid to a school founded in
the heart of the Ténéré. For Alessandro, it’s also a way to participate with friends in a
100% Africa. Maurizio Dominella (engaged this time in the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia in the
car) he lends his KTM 690 and he will enjoy during the race of assistance from a
mechanic.
"I am a lover of the desert, and most important is the spirit that I wish to join in this
participation: the spirit rally raid, the spirit desert... the spirit Africa! I do not have sponsors,
but true friends, who understood my goal: to help these children ... "
Another facet of this character, its activities today. Widely introduced in the Italian
television, Alessandro promote images of the race with the bigger Italian TV Channels.
However, it will submit a request to the organization that ... to wear the No. 27! The Rally
OiLibya of Tunisia will be the 27th rallies of his career. What a long way since the rally
from the Atlas (Morocco) in 1983 where "Ciro" attended his first rally raid ...
"Forza Ciro! "

Etienne SMULEVICI (FRANCE) - CAR
Etienne SMULEVICI ... always ready to race!
Etienne Smulevici and rally raid ... it's a long and successful history. More than 70 entries
on the tracks and a few records! Dakar on 26, he finishes 19 times. In 2008, as if trying to
start a new challenge, this colorful chooses to change their vehicles and going from four
to two wheel drive. As he says with great humor, "A new career! . At the wheel of a buggy,
he took part in the Transorientale, the AMV Shamrock-Rallye du Maroc and the Argentina-
Chile. The change is positive and Etienne have as fun as the first day. In love with Africa
and its deserts, it is on the Rally OilLibya of Tunisia that this Calvados inhabitant decided
to return. After Morocco and Argentina, Jean-Jacques Martin, the co-pilot will again be at
his side. Energy and motivation are always the leitmotif of our national Etienne.

David CASTEU (FRANCE) - BIKE : KTM
David CASTEU and VECTRA Team are in the starting-blocks !
Just back in his native South David Casteu already turned to his next objective, the Rally of Tunisia. Team Vectra will indeed be present in force with no less than five drivers. Although Marcel Butuza, Team Manager, must undergo surgery soon on the shoulder, this should not prevent it from starting line. David will be accompanied by Frans Verhoeven (recent winner of two stages in Argentina), Francisco Lopez, better known as "Chaleco", the Chilean marvel, and Ludovic Boisnard, a French "exile" in the U.S. who is familiar with the African tracks...
Still very excited to participate in a great race, David Casteu particularly appreciates this type of terrain. Faced with Marc Coma and Cyril Despres, the battle promises to be very high ...

Frédéric ALLARD - SSV
...Still SSV...
Third Cross-Country rally for Frédéric Allard driving a SSV. After two rallies of Morocco, Tunisia appears to face a challenge: take 5 000 km on a vehicle atypical ... Frédéric put on a new vehicle to reach its goal. It is in Drakkart wheel of a more successful and more reliable than the Dazon available to Morocco, he will start April 22, always solo ... With high suspension travel and a driver of quality, will only solve the problem of the tires, yet, little suited to this type of terrain. Frédéric well known Tunisia for having participated in previous editions in motorcycle. His great discovery this year will be the Libya .

Dominique ROBIN- BIKE
REGAINING AFRICA ... DISCOVER THE LIBYA ...
Director of the company LEONI, Dominique ROBIN is passionate about enduro, ATV and aircraft. By participating this year at the Rally of Tunisia, Dominique took the opportunity to discover the Libya ...

Fabrizio MUGNAIOLI - BIKE
ITALY WILL BE THERE ...
On his KTM 690 Rally, Fabrizio, a farmer by profession and motocross rider is taking part another time to the Rally of Tunisia. In 2007, he finished 9th in MOTO scratch behind his compatriot Oscar Polli. This adventurer, dreamer, passionate of Africa desert wishes to obtain a good result this year. To be continued ...

Eric VIGOUROUX - AUTO
Is leading … the entry list!
Despite living in California these days, not far from San Diego, Eric Vigouroux has not forgotten the old Continent, Africa or rally raids. A faithful competitor in the NPO events, Eric and his Protruck will be taking part in the 2009 Rally of Tunisia....

LOURENS VAN RENSBURG - MOTO / Enduro Cup
An African biker … in the Enduro Cup !...
Things are also on the move in the two-wheeled world. The first entrants include Lourens Van Rensburg, a South-African competitor entered in the Enduro Cup, who did not hesitate long before signing up for this new adventure. It will be his first rally raid, but his aims are clear … to win the category ! An audiovisual producer living in Johannesburg, Lourens competes in trial competitions, mountain biking and skiing. An accomplished sportsman, who hates to lose, he hopes to fulfill his ambitions but also plans to enjoy himself. The latest entries include Italian biker Silvia Giannetti, her compatriot Fabrizio Mugnaioli, Paul Cummings from Australia, Marek Podlipny from the Czech Republic and Frenchman Dominique Robin.

TOMAS TOMECEK - CAMION
He will defend his Truck title...
Behind the wheel of his Tatra truck, the winner of the 2008 Truck competition, Tomas Tomecek, will be back to compete in the 2009 edition. A regular on the Tunisian rally, Tomas was among the first to sign up as soon as entries opened. Alain Coquelle and his Renault Kerax will also be taking part…