Greece Rally 2021: Among the Dakar Stars

Created by a group of people known as the Off-Road Team, the folks behind the Greece Rally have one common mission: To Make Things Happen. Indeed, with the effort of this group—as well as that of the competitors, adventurers, and motorsport enthusiasts—“things” have not only been happening in the Greece Rally: the 7-day adventure racing madness has always been a center of the action.

For motorsport enthusiasts who’ve been following the Greece Rally and its organizers, however, the thrilling experience that the Greece Rally brings to everyone involved has become the norm. The Off-Road Team has a long and rich track record of organizing rallies and is one of the most reliable organizational institutions for motorcycle and car races in Greece. The Off-Road Team organizes Motorcycle, Enduro, Supermotard, Scramble, Motocross, Trail Ride, and Rally Raid races.

Stefan Svitko’s Return

In 2020, holding for the first time in Veria during the heat of the COVID-19 restrictions, the Greece Rally 2X20 went ahead and was a huge success. One of the main highlights of the Greece Rally 2X20 VERIA—COVID-19 Edition—was how the 2019 champion of the Greece Rally, Stefan Svitko, crashed out of the rally allowing the Polish rider Maciek Giemza clinch the #1 spot and emerge the winner of the 2020 edition of the rally. However, Stefan Svitko didn’t crash out without promising to come back for the #1 spot in 2021, and true to his words (together with lots of determination) Stefan Svitko did come back to claim victory in this year’s edition of the Greece Rally.

The 2021 Greece Rally, which was held between the 5th and 11th of September, came with a bang together with a new destination, new tracks, and a new town.  The 2021 edition, which also took place in the Veria territory, offered something for everyone from seasoned riders to newbies alike. Riders from the UK, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, and other countries participated in the 1445km, 7-day off-road rally.

The start and finish points were the Aiges Melathron at Veria, and all the routes and tracks were done in central Macedonia municipality.

The first day of the race was a 50km prologue, and the following four days—2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th—involved special stages of racing in Vermio Naousa (210km), Paiko Mountains (350km),  Vergina(100km), and Vermio Mountains (300kms) respectively. On Day 6 of the 2021 edition of the Greece Rally, the riders continued north to the Pieria Mountains, traversing the “natural border” of Aliakmonas River and proceeded to Sfikia Village to complete the 230k special stage.

Just as with other previous editions of the Greece Rally, Day 7 (the last special stage of the rally) of the 2021 Greece Rally was an enduro day. The last race day saw riders get the chance to ride full enduro track. As promised, riding his KTM EXC 450 bike, the Slovak, Stefan Svitko, clinched the #1 spot with a total time of 21:24:36.  Arunas Gelazninkas from Lithuania came second overall with a time of 22:49:10.  Arunas was able to claim the second spot with his HUSQVARNA FE 450. The Australian, Tobias Ebster, won the third overall spot with a time total of 23:07:26, with his KTM EXC 450.

Images: Rally Cool/Greece Rally