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GREECE RALLY 2016 REVIEW

    After 7 days of competition, 1700 km, 7 stages, crossing 6 municipalities, 14 mountains, through 6 lakes and 90% gravel, the 6th Edition of the biggest Rally in Greece ends in success, making the Serres Rally one of the best gravel terrain event.

    We rode through mud, stones, sand, swam at the beach, we also enjoyed riding in the rain, we traveled to Paranesti camping out listening to music and relaxing with entertainment that Serres Rally provides every year …

    The breath taking landscapes combine with perfect navigation, and the epilogue was an atmospheric award returning to our HQ and the Elpida Resort & Spa.

    100+ competitors from 20 different countries, professionals and amateurs, men and women, old and new … left Serres taking with them the best impressions of an excellent – well-organized event, were they felt safe and secure with each and every kilometer they travelled!

    The event saw the Slovak Stefan Svitko KTM XC 450 dominated most days, eventually winning the race, ahead of last year’s winner Ondrej Klimciw with Husqvarna TE 450 Rally from Czech Republic. 3rd overall place went to the winner of the 2014 rally the Italian Andrea Cosentino with KTM EΧC 350 F. Once again a new winner, as nobody wins Serres Rally twice… In 4th place finished one of the rising stars, the German Sebastian Buhler YAMAHA WRF 450F, 5th the Portuguese rider Pedro Bianchi Prata with a Honda CRF 450 R, while 6th place was filled by the Dutchman Robert Van Pelt on his Husqvarna TE 450. They were the pioneers in class B – 450.

    Winner of Category A – 250 was Tsuk Sella from Israel, while in the Category C – 450+ Roberto Barbieri Honda CRF 500 R took 1st place, with 2nd place going to Kim De Rycker on his KTM EXC 500 and 3rd place to Vladimir Obona from Slovakia with same bike.

    In Category C2 the Czech Jiri Vasatko with a KTM LC4 690 finished first, ahead of Ian Ross with a Honda XR 650R who rode his bike all the way from Cyprus!

    In the big C3 class, the winner was also a Czech, Jan Zlabek with BMW R 1100. The British riders Lee Salt (KTM 990) and David Watson (BMW HP2 1200) completed the podium.

    Russian Aleksandr Maksimov with a Yamaha Raptor 700 won Class D in front of the Serres Rally lover Josef Machacek from Czech Republic with a same Quad. In 3rd place a UTV in the hands of Marcel and Liza Huigevoort finished in the 3rd place.

    Winner in the Women category was the British rider Donna Gray on a KTM 450, in front of Polytimi Kyriakopoulou from Greece with a Yamaha WRF 450. The 3rd place went to Gabliela Novotva from Czech Republic with a KTM EXC 450, in a class full of charms and smiles!

    Finally, in the class of Veterans winner was the Italian Giancarlo Moscone riding a Husqvarna TE 350, with also Italian Fabrizio Di Vicenzo coming in 2nd with a BETA 498 and the Dutchman Rob Van Pelt was 3rd on a Honda CRF 450.

    The Dutchman Maikel Smits and the Italian Roberto Zanetti gave an impressive performance, as well as Islael Gev Sella with a KTM 450 EXC and the Italian Alessandro Botturi with a Yamaha WR 450 F, but the last two riders dropped down the ranking due to a number of mishaps.

    The smiles of all competitors, was the best reward for the organizing team of Serres Rally, and the promise of an even better Serres Rally in 2017!

    For the upcoming year, Serres Rally is planning more surprises, more mountains and countries, more seas and beaches and fantastic new routes!

    Stay tuned! – Thank you!

    We owe a huge thank you to everyone involved that helped us become the best and certainly the largest Rally Raid Race in Greece and in Balkans: Elpida Resort & Spa, Golden Tyre, Motorex, BF Goodrich, Superfast Ferries, Planet Sim, Moto Magazine, VW – Poreia, EPOMEA Sintikis Rescue and Medical Team, Auto Moto Club of Serres, Voreia, Vasakis, Nektar.

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