The 18th edition of the Maroc Challenge met the expectations generated by the 180 participating teams – the largest registration in history – and the test, difficult, tough and very difficult from the first kilometer, turned into an exciting adventure. The majesty of the landscapes, many of them unpublished and some tracks to enjoy the drive to the fullest, made the return to Morocco after a three-year absence unforgettable.
In addition to facing Maroc’s own difficulties, they had to fight the elements, the fatigue accumulated in six long stages, an itinerary as varied as the rigors and, finally, the sandstorm that destroyed the night of the camp will have Completed the challenge.
Crossing the strait during the day from Almería forced us to make the long connection to Midelt at night and the first stage started from the heart of the Atlas with almost no sleep. The hardness and length of the stages were already glimpsed on the first day, far from being a prologue, with 412 kilometers in Erfoud. The combination of fast tracks with rocky areas and sand has become apparent. The vehicles of the Raid category had already had their baptism in the dunes shortly before the arrival, starting to mark the differences.
A difficult journey
The sand dance started in Erfoud for all categories, crossing the Erg Chebbi and Erg Ouzina dunes in the second stage in an itinerary adapted to each of the categories. Zagora was reached after a frantic pace. With no time to rest, in the third stage a loop was played to enjoy the grandeur of Erg Chegaga and the majesty of Lake Iriki.
Back to Erfoud neither the speed nor the difficulties decreased, fatigue accumulated in the machines and the participants. The contest equator was crossed and everything remained open. The Rekkam Plateau, crossed towards Tendrara, was another of the impressive points of this 18th edition in a stage where the participants in the Raid category enjoyed the last sands and where they had to face some tracks that have been damaged by heavy rains and require close attention.
At Tendrara the camp experienced a busy afternoon/evening when it was hit by a heavy sandstorm which, however, did not prevent the final stage being held on Friday 9th. The last sector changed the usual tracking track for waypoints that had to be stepped on in order not to be penalized and where the participants also showed good skills.
Saïdia is the final point of the rally and on Saturday morning the 10th prizes were distributed next to the beach and thus concluded, brilliantly, an edition that means the return to Morocco after a forced three-year break due to the pandemic .
Finally, it should be noted that the winners in ten different categories were the teams:
MYMSA (Raid), Facking Portuguese (Adventure TT3), Automobiles MA (Adventure TT2), Grao Racers (Adventure TT1), Rally Sierra de Gata (Adventure SUV), Tronquet 71 Portal de la Marina (Adventure Rookie), Pilotes per un Somriure GTR (Adventure C4), Rofman 4×4 (Adventure C3), Fulgen First (Adventure C2) and On the Road Again 03 (Adventure C1).
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
