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The Tunisia Desert Challenge is one of the toughest rally races in the world, covering eight days of racing with an average daily distance of 325 km and taking competitors across some of the most demanding terrain in Africa. This year, the extreme race conditions claimed the life of French competitor Matthieu de Saint-Exupery: during Stage Three Saint-Exupery tragically passed away as a result of heat and fatigue, despite the organizers’ best efforts to rescue him.<\/p>\n
Known as an ‘extreme’ Rally Raid event, the Tunisia Desert Challenge 2022 was won by veteran Dakar racer and two-time Africa Eco Race champion Alessandro Botturi, who admitted this was one of the hardest rallies he has ever been in. However, there was another memorable victory at the race this year: that of Vanessa Ruck, the first female rider to ever enter and finish the TDC. The Brit came in 35th<\/sup> Overall out of 55 riders who started in the race \u2013 just five places below the Extreme Enduro star Pol Tarres.<\/p>\n Vanessa Ruck is better known to her fans than The Girl On a Bike<\/a>and her obsession with motorcycles began after her recovery from a horrific car accident<\/a> eight years ago. Having survived multiple surgeries and hip and shoulder reconstructions, Vanessa took up motorcycling and soon found her passion was riding dirt. Along with her husband Alex, Vanessa has progressed from adventure riding and traveling to taking on some of the world’s most extreme races such as the Romaniacs, Rallye du Maroc and, most recently, the Tunisia Desert Challenge.<\/p>\n Riding a Beta 480 RR called \u201cSandy\u201d with the Desert Rose Racing support team on her side, Vanessa was determined to complete the race. Out of 55 motorcycle racers starting on Day One, only 40 reached the finish line, and her 35th<\/sup> place overall didn’t go unnoticed by the race organizers. “Normally, for a category to exist, there need to be at least three competitors, however I am making an exception for this young lady as the first female to ever enter,” Gert Duson, the race director, announced at the prize-giving .<\/p>\n Although Vanessa was racing in the same main category as the other riders, she was awarded the winning trophy of the Female Riders category as she was the only woman to show up \u2013 and finish the extreme race.<\/p>\n According to Vanessa, the Tunisia Desert Challenge more than lived up to its fame for brutal conditions. She had to endure 85km\/h sandstorms, mechanical issues with the bike, searing heat, and a helicopter rescue \u2013 but she wasn’t the only one.<\/p>\n Stage Three in the El Borma dunes proved to be impossible for many riders. Due to extremely difficult terrain and sandstorms, sixteen riders (including Pol Tarres the following day) got hopelessly stuck in the dunes and had to be rescued. Vanessa was among them: having faced an electrical fault, she had just six kilometers left to the end of the dune section \u2013 and the one furthest from all the other riders stuck in the sand.<\/p>\n \u201cIn those conditions, however, a mere 500 meters is a grueling slog. I had no other choice – I made a campfire and waited for help to arrive. After a rescue in the dark of the night, I made it back to the bivouac at 3.30am, grabbing less than three hours of sleep while my Desert Rose Racing mechanic team frantically got Sandy back to life,\u201d Vanessa recalls.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nRescue in the Dunes<\/h2>\n
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