A compass, a road-book and a map: that's all the 1,375 teams in the 4L Trophy needed to cross the 6,000 km that took them as far as the Merzouga dunes in the deep south of Morocco, before arriving in Marrakech. For its fifteenth edition, from 16 to 26 February, this off-road rally confirmed its reputation as Europe's leading sporting and humanitarian event for students.
For the occasion, Motul provided its support to two teams: no. 2188 backed by the garage SODIMAVI and no. 2152 driven by Valentin Thacé and Guillaume Garnier from Vannes, whom we were able to meet when they were in Spain on their way back to France. 'One of the striking things of the off-road rally is the solidarity that exists at all levels, explained Valentin. As soon as you break down or get stuck in the sand, the first cars going by stop to help you out. Also, it's a great performance by the organisers to manage to combine cultural and sport aspects. We discovered a magnificent country and a culture we didn't know about.'
As for the 4L, despite its age of 40, it withstood the test well. 'We did good preparation work, with a highered suspension, a protective plate, a more powerful alternator, electronic ignition, an additional fan, wider rims... So during the rally we changed merely the filters! Motul products helped us a lot, whether the lubricant, the product to wash your hands without water, or that to clean the bodywork.' This magnificent experience will probably not be just a one-off initiative: 'I practise motocross and this has made me want to take part in other adventures such as the Morocco Rally, in a car or on a motorcycle.' Every success, Valentin!
