Laure and Sophie: from the United Arab Emirates to Morocco via South Africa

Team 125 (Sophie SOLON-BREUSSE / Laure DE LA JONQUIERE).

After taking part in 2011 and 2018, Sophie finally got her high school friend Laure to join her for the Gazelles adventure. “Sophie really sold me on the rally, I followed her experience in 2018, and I love everything to do with adventure, so I was easily convinced”, says the young Gazelle.

“The last two times, I did it with women I didn’t really know, and I wanted to see what a rally would be like with someone I know well”, explains Sophie. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is also an opportunity for the two friends to see each other, as they now live thousands of kilometres apart, one in Dubaï and the other in Johannesburg. “That didn’t stop us from helping each other to mentally prepare. We even did some sports to be together”, remarks Laure.

For this first rally together, Sophie will be behind the wheel while Laure will try her hand at navigation. “I wanted to try driving. The advantage is that when you’ve done navigation, you stick to the headings better when you drive”, observes Sophie, whose objective for her third Rallye “changes hour by hour”. “I followed the last editions on the screen, and I know there will be some heavyweights on the start line”, says the Gazelle, who admits: “I’m putting pressure on myself because it’s my third time. Especially since the first time, we finished 10th.”