The penultimate stage between Laayoune and Tan-Tan saw plenty of upsets. In the motorcycle category, Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) won the day and took the overall lead. In the car category, Sebastien Loeb (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) pulled out of the special stage with a technical problem, allowing Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing), 3rd on the day, to take a major option on the world championship. Guerlain Chicherit (GCK Motorsports) increased his lead in the overall standings on the eve of the finish. In T3, “Chaleco” Lopez (Can-Am Factory South Racing) lost the lead to Seth Quintero (Red Bull Off-Road Junior). Given everything that’s happened over the last 4 days it would be a brave man to make any bets on the final outcome in Agadir
ON TRACK
Clearly the American bike competitors like riding in Morocco. On today’s penultimate special Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) not only took the win but with it the overall lead. That’s his good news. His not so good news is that fellow American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna Factory Racing) is only 1’11” behind and starts tomorrow back in 6th place. Rally logic suggestions that Brabec will lose time opening, while Howes will gain time following and is therefore favourite for the top step of the final podium. However, neither is too keen to make any prognostics because they both know that the terrain and navigation are so tricky here that anything can happen. A truism that Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) knows only too well. Third place overall this morning the likeable Australian crashed at pk 85. Evacuated by helicopter suffering from concussion, further examinations found nothing more serious. No surprises in Rally2 with Mason Klein (BAS World KTM Racing) coming across the line 13’48” ahead of teammate Bradley Cox. Overall the American leads the South African by 42’11”. In Rally3 the Indian Sherco rider Abdul Wahid finally broke Amine Echiguer’s stranglehold on the category with the Moroccan rider maintaining his overall lead 12’21” ahead of Guillaume Borne. Already victorious yesterday, Axel Dutrie (Drag’on Rally) won the quad category again today less than a minute ahead of Alexandre Giroud, actual leader of the world championship. Manuel Andujar completes the podium on the day’s stage and retains the overall classification of the Rallye du Maroc.
In the cars, it’s a four-act drama being played out between Al Attiyah and Loeb. Today’s episode saw the Frenchman come to a stop at pk 127. Without power steering, the Bahrain Raid Xtreme driver was unable to continue. A catastrophic scenario for the leader of the world championship who was only one point ahead of the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver. Nasser took the third place on the day 2’30” behind teammate and winner of the day Al Rajhi (Toyota Overdrive). Guerlain Chicherit (GCK Motorsports), repeats yesterday’s 2nd place, 1’30” behind the Saudi. In the general standings, Chicherit increases his lead over Terranova (Bahrain Raid Xtreme). The Frenchman now has a cushion of 9’57”. A comfortable lead on the eve of the finish, especially since Nasser Al Attiyah is at 28’37” and Al Rajhi at 40’48”.
In T3, the W2RC leader was upset by a Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team hattrick! Cristina Gutierrez, who had not yet taken a stage, won ahead of Seth Quintero and Mitch Guthrie who finished less than two minutes behind the Spaniard. “Chaleco” Lopez (Can-Am Factory Can-Am), finished 8th nearly 13 minutes behind. The Chilean, who has led the overall since the start, hands the leadership to Seth Quintero who is now 11’24” ahead. Cristina Gutierrez completes the podium only 43 seconds behind the Can-Am driver.
In T4, the Pole Marek Goczal (Cobant-Energylandia Rally Team) won the stage with the 10th fastest time behind the T1s. He finished just under 5 minutes ahead of world championship leader Austin Jones (Can-Am Factory South Racing) and Lithuania’s Rokas Baciuska (South-Racing Can-Am). In the overall standings, Rokas Baciuska maintains the lead ahead of Pau Navarro (FN Speed) and Gonzalez Ferioli (South Racing Can-Am).