Dakar: BMW stage 4 report

First African Stage

The competitors of the 26th annual Rally Dakar started making their way from Tanger towards Er Rachidia this morning. A total of 752 kilometres needed to be completed on the first African stage, including a fast 75 kilometre special stage on sandy tracks through the Mamoora forest- a stone pine forest near Rabat.

The X-raid drivers Grégoire de Mévius and Luc Alphand obeyed the team orders to 'arrive' and completed the special stage without any problems worth mentioning. De Mévius came in seventh, 1:16 min. behind the day's winner Arie Vatanen (Nissan); Luc Alphand took ninth place, with a 1:55 min. deficit from Vatanen. In the overall rankings, de Mévius is in fourth place, 1:28 min. behind the leader Stephan Peterhansel (Mitsubishi); Alphand is in eighth place (2:19 min. behind).

At the stage destination Er Rachidia, the rally stops by the valley Vallée du Ziz' before continuing tomorrow on a 575 kilometre long arch, at first southwards, to Ouarzazate. On the agenda will be the first longer special stage, with a length of 337 kilometres, which includes everything that amounts to a selective track for the competitors: fast stretches that alternate between winding, rocky trails. Afterwards, the erg Chebbi will offer a lot of sand before the fast sandy tracks follow once again. Finally, a 182 kilometre liaison stage to Ouarzazate will still be yet to come.

-bmw x-raid-