“Ingo has arrived in France today (Sunday) a few hours later than anticipated as his plane from Windhoek to Frankfurt, Germany experienced a four-hour delay on arrival due to bad weather,” Waldschmidt’s wife Lisa told a Sapa correspondent in Windhoek.
“As a result Ingo’s arrival in France was delayed, too,” she added.
Waldschmidt joins 29 bikers, 10 truck drivers and about 130 motorists with their teams from 29 nations in the seaside town of St. Cyprien for final preparations for the twelve-stage enduro rally across Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal.
Waldschmidt, 40 is the only Namibian participating in the 2015 Africa Eco Rally, which was initiated some five years ago and largely follows the route of the former Paris-Dakar Rally.
The Dakar rally was moved to South America in 2009 due to security threats.
Waldschmidt participated in the Dakar event as the first Namibian in 2009, ending as 52nd in the motorbike category.
In 2011, he ended as Number 38 and in 2013 in 44th position.
“Ingo always wanted to do the classic Paris-Dakar route and in 2009 when he managed to receive sufficient sponsorships to fulfil his dream, it was moved to South America,” according to Lisa Waldschmidt.
“The Africa Eco Rally covers three countries and ends in Dakar, Senegal like the former Paris-Dakar rally and Ingo is very happy to finally do the classic route.”
Waldschmidt carries the number ‘111’ and rides for the ‘Desert Rose Racing’ team of the Netherlands.
All participants are due to travel on Monday from St Cyprien to the port of Motril, Spain in order to catch an overnight ferry to the port of Nador, Morocco.
The first stage of the rally, covering 645 kilometres from Nador to Jorf el Hamman, will kick off on Tuesday.