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Mani Gyenes, Alex Garbacea and Adrian Raduta will compete (1-7 April) in the first round of this season's FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championsip, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. This is the first event where Mani attends after he won in January the Dakar Rally -class Marathon.

 As Vectra Racing decided at the end of Dakar 2011, they will try to attend all the stages included in the calendar of World Championship; the season will start this week in Abu Dhabi. Mani Gyenes, Alex Garbcea si Adi Raduta will compete for the first time in the United Arab Emirates. The only Romanian rider who has evolved so far in the Desert Challenge is Marcel Butuza (he came in sixth in the season standings in 2007). Mani Gyenes and Alex Garbacea are common rally-raid participants from 2007 till today; they have attended at least one international event per season. However, Mani has competed so far only in the Sahara and Atacama, while Alex has only attended events in the African desert. Both of them will have to discover Liwa desert sand because the rally will last five days in this part of the Rub al Khali, and to accommodate a much higher heat than the other races have ever seen.

In this adventure around the the United Arab Emirates, Adrian Raduta will also join the other two rdiers who have competed over time in the World Championship. Multiple champion of Romania in motocross and double champion in motocross throughout Eastern Europe, Adi Raduta will compete in Desert Challenge in order to see if he can adapt to this sport and if he can team up in the future with Mani Gyenes and Alex Garbacea in much tougher rally-raid competitions. For Adi Raduta the experience of his two teammates and of their support team ( Romeo Duicu, Liviu Butuza) is a vital one. The driver from Bucharest is used to participating in short races, on tracks which he knows well, but this week he will learn what it means to run hundreds of miles in the desert and to find information about the route only from the road-book. In addition, he will have to get used to a bike that weighs about 100 kg more than the one for motocross racing.

 All the three riders are enrolled in Open category and will compete on  KTM 690 Rally.

 Vectra Racing riders career highlights:

Mani Gyenes

The first international rally-raid: Dakar 2007.

The first stage in World Championship: Pharaohs Rally in 2008.

Best Rank in Dakar: 18th place and class victory at Marathon in 2011.

The best ranking in a rally (World Championship event) : 6th place overall in the Pharaohs Rally in 2008 and Production class victory at the Rally of Morocco in 2009.

World Rally Championship attended: Pharaohs Rally (2008), Rally of Morocco (2009), Rally of Tunis (2010).

Alex Garbacea

The first international rally-raid: Rally Sardinia 2007.

The first stage in World Championship: 2007 Rally Sardinia.

Best Rank in Dakar: he has not yet participated.

The best ranking in a rally (World Championship event): 11th place in the Rally of Tunis (2010).

World Rally Championship attended: Rally Sardinia (2007), Rally of the Pharaohs (2007, 2008), Rally of Tunis (2010).

You can rent Vectra Racing assistance truck – MAN TGA 26 480 6x6 year 2008 – for Dakar 2011. For more info please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 0040743.335.290.