Off-road

Transanatolia Comes to a Close in Ankara

TurkMotorspor 12 January 2016, 10:37 Updated: 23 February 2016, 16:30 3 min read

Transanatolia Rally Raid, now in its sixth year and ranked among the longest and toughest rally raids in the world, got under way on 22 August with a ceremonial start in Ankara. The presence of internationally renowned Dakar Rally competitors such as Laia Sanz, Helder Rodrigues, Olivier Pain, Paolo Ceci, Alessandro Botturi and Gerrard Farres added extra colour to the event.

A total of 89 competitors from seven countries took part on motorcycles, 4x4 off-road vehicles, ATVs and trucks. The first special stage, on the morning of 23 August, was the 181km Tuzgölü stage, 105km from Ankara. After two more special stages, the crews completed a demanding day at the camp site in Cappadocia. Setting off early on the morning of 24 August, the crews finished the day with a stage through the Kemaliye Stone Road, built with great effort, and spent the night on the banks of the Euphrates in Kemaliye, with magnificent scenery all around. On 25 August the crews tackled a single but long special stage and overnighted at the Erzurum ski centre. The next day they headed for the historically significant Pasinler Cannon Road route, also enjoying the Narman fairy chimneys within the special stage, before returning to Erzurum for the night.

Heading west on the morning of 27 August, the crews spent the night at a superb camp site beside a lake near Refahiye. At the start of the following day's second special stage, a very colourful surprise awaited all the competitors. At Hubyar, near Tokat, the stage start point, the whole village had put on colourful local costumes and prepared food, welcoming the competitors with great enthusiasm. This atmosphere, which impressed not only the competitors but also the Turkish and foreign press, defined the day. With spirits sky-high, the competitors completed the stage and reached the camp site set up beside the Çekerek dam lake near Yozgat.

On 29 August the competitors drove two natural-wonder canyons as special stages before heading to Ankara for the finish. Transanatolia ended at Kentpark Shopping Centre with a very lively ceremony and prize-giving. Welcomed with great enthusiasm in every province, district and village along the route, and drawing strong interest from the foreign press thanks to the participation of well-known Turkish and especially international competitors, Transanatolia is expected to grow considerably next year, both in the number of entries and in international recognition. Efforts to showcase Turkey's unspoilt regions and the fast-disappearing culture of Anatolia, and to build bridges of culture and friendship between regions, will continue in 2016.

4x4 CAR CLASS

1. Suat İnan/Ejder Erişti

2. Mert Becce/Turgut Barış

3. Murat Karahan/Şener Efe

MOTORCYCLE CLASS

1. Gerrad Farres Guell

2. Helder Rodriguez

3. Alessandro Botturi

ATV/BUGGY CLASS

1. Tsanko Tsankov/Zornitsa Todorova

TRUCK CLASS

1. Marino Mutti/Andrea Mazzoleni