In a stunning victory, 17-year-old Israeli motorcyclist Gev Sella came in first place in the Africa Eco Race's motorcycle category on Saturday. The desert motorcycle rally was the first in the teenager's fledgling career, Channel 10 News reported. Despite coming in third in the last leg of the rally, Sella managed to overtake the other riders, and ultimately obtain a 50-minute lead over Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter, who would come in second in the race. Although they competed against one another in the race, Sella may actually have Ullevalseter to thank for his victory. When Sella ran out of gas in one leg of the race, Ullevalseter shared some of his fuel with him, allowing him to finish the leg and ultimately win the rally. The Africa Eco Race traverses several locations, including Monaco, where the race started, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal and includes several categories, including cars, trucks, ATVs, and motorcycles. The race was established after the annual Dakar Rally, which saw competitors ride from Africa to South America, was moved entirely to South America following a series of terrorist threats to the rally in Mauritania in 2008. As its title suggests, the Africa Eco Race is unique in that competitors and organizers commit to minimizing the impact of their passage on the environment. Culture Minister Miri Regev called Sella to congratulate him on his win. "You have brought honor and pride to the State of Israel. You made history," Regev said, adding that she was proud of Sella's victory and his new title. She said she was unable to honor Sella with a certificate of appreciation at a ceremony celebrating excellence in sports last week due to his participation in the rally and that the two will meet when Sella returns to Israel.
