Prince Albert II starts off ‘Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles’
The 34th Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc got underway on Friday 11 April with Prince Albert II in attendance © Communication department / Stéphane Danna
Saharan sand and solidarity! The Monegasque crew ‘Soeurs de Route’ (Road Sisters) is setting off on an extraordinary adventure in the Moroccan desert, carrying a message of hope about multiple sclerosis.
On Friday 11 April, the Principality was abuzz as the 34th Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc got under way, in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II. Among the 172 crews taking part, a special spotlight is on ‘Sœurs de Route’, the only Monegasque crew, made up of Juliette Rapaire and Sarah Gharsalli.
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A sporting challenge with strong values
This is a 100% women-only competition, and 100% off-road. It’s also a pioneer in eco-driving, with a different approach to rally-raid: no speed race, no satnav, just a map, a compass and a ruler to navigate through the Moroccan Sahara. The aim is to cover as few kilometres as possible between checkpoints over the 1,300 km course.
‘Soeurs de Route’: more than a sporting performance
For Juliette and Sarah, this adventure is about much more than sport. Inseparable friends, they set up the “Sœurs de Route” non-profit to encourage women to take on sporting challenges while defending causes they care about at the same time.
“We wanted to create a non-profit that would last,” says Juliette, an audiovisual producer at Monaco Info.
A message of hope about illness
Sarah, who has had multiple sclerosis since 2017, is representing the Fondation France Sclérose en Plaques (French Multiple Sclerosis Foundation). “The aim is to prove that no matter what illness you have, you can still do great things. It’s not supposed to stop us from living and doing the things we want to,” she says with conviction.
Supported by a number of sponsors, including SBM, the Prince’s Government and the Monegasque Chess Federation, the Monegasques are approaching the adventure with enthusiasm, but also a certain amount of trepidation: “We don’t know what it’ll be like once we’re in the desert, but what’s reassuring is that we’re all setting off together, with a genuine spirit of solidarity and sisterhood.”
The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles will run until 26 April, finishing in Essaouira.
Gazelles stats:
172 CREWS – 344 GAZELLES
Average age: 43
Eldest participant, 71 years old # 192 Prune
Youngest participant, 22 years old # 217 Lysa
Categories
8 SSV teams
1 QUAD team
5 CROSSOVER teams
5 E-GAZELLE teams
153 4X4 teams including 3 RETROFIT teams (#196 # 208 # 253)
19 car brands represented