Hierbij de door Gert Duson verzonden mail:
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Dear rally friends,
It’s been a while since you’ve heard of us, so time for a small update. As you can imagine there is not
a lot to say. The whole of Libya is still in a dirty war and no one can tell when it is going to end. The
big question is also: what will happen to the country once the war is over? Many questions to which
no one can give an answer.
Recently I got a phone call from one of the Dutch racing teams, wondering about my plans for 2012.
My team and I are brainstorming about possible alternative scenarios. The reason why we haven’t
been communicating was because until recently there was no definitive solution.
First we thought of bringing the Libya Rally to Morocco but as many of you know this country is
highly populated and to safely organize a speed rally with sufficient sand & dunes, you’ll have to go
to the very south (the region of Layoune where once the Shamrock Rally was organized). This option
would be very expensive and difficult from a logistic point of view, since it means a 4000 km drive (or
8000 km 2-ways) for the assistance and transport teams, just to get there.
NEW: The solution we believe is the best, is to return to Tunisia. The situation seems calm and in the
south we can find high dunes. It’s easily accessible from Europe by boat and there are very cheap
flights from every European airport to Djerba (from 50€ onwards). The date we have in mind is the
second half of March 2012.
Many other rallies in Tunisia and another one in Libya were cancelled due to the political events in
the Arab world. My next plan is to get in touch with other rally organisers, combine efforts, knowhow
and racers, and create a big and unforgettable rally next year, not a cheap replacement but
high-level in every possible way. More info will follow shortly.
I would like to end this e-mail by thanking you for your patience and support. I wish things were
different, but unfortunately it’s not our choice. I welcome any ideas and feedback. Let’s stay in touch.
Sportive regards
Gert & Hadi