Nearly 6,000 kilometers, from Biarritz to Marrakech, via Spain and the Moroccan desert. It is the fantastic journey in a setting worthy of the old Paris-Dakar Rally which awaits, between February 16 and 26, the 1,500 crews of the 4L Trophy.
But, for the 3,000 participants in the largest student event in Europe, no cars or 4X4s. All the trophy winners must present themselves at the starting line at the wheel of a good old Renault 4L to experience this extraordinary adventure, presented as a real expedition. Because the rally-raid, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and welcomes former competitors for the occasion, is above all an orienteering race in the middle of multiple obstacles and traps that the course has in store. The goal is to reach each stage by covering as few kilometers as possible, equipped only with a road book, a map and a compass, while respecting the various passage controls.
There is therefore no point in rushing at high speed to hope to win. “Any notion of speed is excluded,” insists the race director, Jean-Jacques Rey. The classification is carried out on the basis of mileage linked to orientation, and on the numerous events. »
School supplies giveaway
But, beyond the competition, the 4L Trophy, sponsored this year by host Denis Brogniart, is intended to be a human and supportive experience between the participants, but also towards the local populations. Each crew works with the French Red Cross and undertakes to deliver, at the departure village, ten kilos of non-perishable food to help families in difficulty in the region. A donation of donations, in partnership with the Enfants du Désert association, of school materials and supplies will also be organized to make education accessible to children in south-eastern Morocco.
The 4L Trophy is therefore hands on the steering wheel and… on the heart.
