The first waypoint, at km 8, caught several riders out, leaving them riding round in circles in the sand before striking out to conquer the Erg Cheggaga.
For Jakub Pzrygonski, the Oilibya Morocco Rally started on a bad note. He set out from the hotel with a temperature and a stomach upset but subsquently returned to the hotel and thence home to Poland.
Joan Barreda (Honda) won the special ahead of Marc Coma aboard the new injection KTM, who is biding his time. Gonçalves (Honda) came in third.
Honda too has brought out some new artillery and Helder Rodrigues, in fourth ahead of Chaleco Lopez (KTM), is looking happy: “The new bike is much more powerful as well as faster and more stable. I am very pleased with this new version.” His team mate Sunderland made a navigation error and lost some time. “After that I saw Gonçalves in the distance, so I followed him and rode with him to the end of the special”, the British rider explained.
Botturi (Honda) was on the pace and sitting in fourth but then he was taken sick and wound up in ninth place, just one minute behind the rider in fifth.
Communication AMADLOZI - amadlozi.blogspot.com -