Maroc Challenge has seen its difficulty rise to new levels, the fifth stage has been very tough and very long and participants have had to contend with more than enough sand.
Vehicles in the Raid category had to cover 371 kilometers on a day that started early in the morning in Zagora and took them to Erfoud weaving their way through a string of dunes, sand riverbeds and large expanses of camel grass.
They also faced the fesh-fesh of Ramlia and a variety of rough terrains, from faster tracks at first, to broken and cut sections damaged by floodwaters.
The weight of this stage
The ruggedness of this fifth stage, in which the ASM Sport team rallied ahead with their Toyota HDJ 100, is reflected in the fact that none of the Raid category teams were able to complete the itinerary without being penalized.
Moreover, the organization established a secret speed control point in Er-Rachidia which many participants fell for. ASM Sport leads the Raid category classification, pending only the sixth and final stage, with a total of 335 points, while the second position is closely disputed between Mymsa (515), Biela Team (535) and the Travesauzo Team (540).
Victory is still very much up in the air, especially if you take into account that missing a single waypoint will be penalized with 250 points.
It will be finish 07.12
The 17th edition of Maroc Challenge will conclude tomorrow in Erfoud after a last loop in which the survivors of a very tough edition must find and validate waypoints that the organization has scattered around for each of the different categories. The difficulty will be high, as this stage will have no reference track to follow.
