STAGE 4: SUSPENSE AND TWISTS ON THIS LAST MOROCCAN STAGE
• IN MOTORCYCLES, A MAJOR NAVIGATION ERROR FOR THE TOP 3 IN THE GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
• IN CARS, TOMAS OUREDNICEK WINS HIS FIRST STAGE VICTORY. VINCENT VRONINKS, SECOND IN THE GENERAL CLASSIFICATION BEFORE TODAY'S STAGE, MAKES A MISTAKE AND IS FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE RACE
• IN TRUCKS, GERRIT ZUURMOND WINS THE STAGE WITH A NEARLY 2-MINUTE LEAD OVER HIS RIVAL.
Heading to Dakhla for this last Moroccan stage before the much-anticipated rest day. A long stage of 629 km, including 431 kilometers of selective sector. A day marked by major twists and turns across the vast sandy stretches of Southern Morocco. After starting in the dunes, competitors moved to fast, rolling tracks. This fifth stage brought its share of surprises and upsets in the provisional rankings. All the competitors and support teams will now take advantage of this Sunday, January 5th, a rest day, to care for their bodies and machines, worn out by this first week.
MOTORCYCLE: Nicolas Charlier shines while the leaders slip
A dramatic turn of events in the motorcycle category: at kilometer 150, the top three inthe general standings took the wrong course. Alessandro Botturi, in the lead,made a navigation error, dragging his pursuers Jacopo Cerutti and PåL Anders Ullevålseter along.
On the other hand, Nicolas Charlier, starting from fourth place, chose to trust his own reading of the roadbook. A winning bet for the Belgian, who claimed an impressive stage victory. Meanwhile, the three favorites finished far behind: Jacopo Cerutti in 35th place (+47’), Alessandro Botturi 37th at +50’, and PåL AndersUllevålseter gets the 38th position at +51’.
In the general standings, Jacopo Cerutti holds onto the lead with only 1 minute and 30 seconds ahead of Botturi, while Francesco Montanari is in third place,1h22 behind his team mate. Thanks to their great performances today, Guillaume Borne and Nicolas Charlier climb to 4th and 6th positions, respectively. As forUllevålseter, he drops to 5th place.
The suspense remains high as the second week of competition in Mauritania approaches, where Yamaha and Aprilia will continue their fierce rivalry.
CAR: First Victory for Tomas Ourednicek, Vincent Vroninks withdraws after a crash
In the car category, Tomas Ourednicek shone with his first stage victory in 3h28. The Czech driver beat Benoît Fretin, who, despite a puncture at the start of the special, finished only 1'34 behind the winner. Magdalena Zajac secures third place, 13 minutes behind Tomas Ourednicek.
However, the major event of the day for the cars concerns Vincent Vroninks, second in the general standings before this stage. After a spectacular crash, the Belgian rolled over. While the crew was fortunately unharmed, they were forced to withdraw, shaking up the four-wheel rankings.
TRUCK: Van Groningen wins, Gerrit remains solid in the overall lead
In the truck category, William Van Groningen, driving his Iveco, won the stage with a 1 minuteand 58 seconds lead over his rival Zuurmond Gerrit. This stage victory allows Van Groningen to earn important points, but in the general standings, Zuurmond Gerrit still holds a strong lead with a comfortable 1 hour and 50 minutes advantage.
HISTORIC: Majestic expanses and an unchanged ranking
In the classic category, the standings remain unchanged after this fifth stage. Competitors particularly appreciated the vast expanses traversed, typical of Southern Morocco. Complex navigation zones spiced up the ZR (regularity zones), making their task more challenging while enhancing the pleasure of driving.
Heading to Mauritania, the suspense remains intact
With the rest day on Sunday in Dakhla, the teams will have the chance to care for the machines and bodies and head towards Mauritania feeling a bit more rested. After an intense first week and over 1,735 kilometers of specials covered, the suspense remains total in each category. The tight gaps promise an equally thrilling second week of racing on legendary tracks where anything can still happen.
