Announced for today. With regret I publish the following decision for implementing El Chott 2015:

• The event will take place in Tunisia at specified period.
• The name of the event is changed to El Chott Sahara-Tour –Back to the Roots–
• During the event there will be no timed rally competition.
• The accompanying travels of AC and DC groups will be held unchanged.
• For already registered participants and service teams and also for ORGA, Service, helpers and friends as well as for all others who wish to accompany us, we will organize a 12-day Tunisia-Trip. For 80% of routes with different “sand share” (up to three different routes per day) there will be roadbooks.
• The offered services according to tender will be adapt.
• Registration fees are reduced accordingly. Any differences will be reimbursed.
• Each already registered participant in a race class as well as his service team can cancel his participation. Each already registered participant in a race class as well as his service team can cancel his participation. Already made entry fees will be reimbursed at 100%. The final date for this is the 16/08/2015. After that date refunds are granted only in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.

Any changes to the event will be published in detail at latest on Monday, 27/07/2015, on the website.

Justification:

Both our contacts in Tunisia as well as the information of the Foreign Office would not give cause to cancel the event for safety reasons. However, the individual security sense of participants and their families is a different thing. In recent weeks I received in addition to three new registrations also 5 cancellations. Moreover already announced registrations are not made.

Only 10 participants in 5 rating classes make a serious rally competition impossible.

The pre-tour is evaluated. The roadbooks are ready for printing. Subject to the required approvals, the daily stages, transfers, special stages and service routes are fixed.

With El Borma and the marathon-stage to the “Lost Lake” and back (without service teams at the bivouac) we have in 2015 two marked highlights in our rally program.

All daily stages in detail:

DS01

DS02

DS03

DS04

DS05

DS06

DS07

DS08

DS09

DS10

DS11

DS12

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Even though it is not my job to comment the cancellation of a rally-event in Tunisia, but I have to respond to many inquiries which I received by e-mail or phone:

During preparing our rally we are in constant contact with the Tunisian authorities, of course and especially now after the brutal terrorist attack in Tunis three weeks ago.

According to the latest information we have, the general security situation has not deteriorated. Of course, vehicle checks and other precautionary measures of the Tunisian security forces have been tightened. In addition, there are restrictions on traveling into the immediate border areas with Algeria and Libya. The rally El Chott avoids these regions already since some years. So our routes are not affected. For all other parts of the country with unchanged security situation there are no concerns, to perform a motorsport event. At present we assume, there are no restrictions on the necessary permits.

The rally preparation runs continuously as planned. And we all look forward to a great rally in this wonderful Tunisia.