Temperature at 12h00 : 31.9°c
3 check-points (CP) (km 10.3 - 22.5 – 30.5).
765 competitors at the start Today’s rankings : Men
1. Lahcen Ahansal (Morocco 1) 3h19m01
2. Mohammed Ahansal (Morocco 2) 3h21m59
3. Samuel Bonaudo (France 280) 3h41m14 Women
1. Simone Keyser Diederich (Luxembourg - 785) 4h45m57
2. Virginie Thevenot (France - 190) 5h01m45
3. Isabelle Degrand (France – 92) 5h16m22
41 kilometres on today’s menu for competitors still struggling
to get over the previous day’s challenge. For starters, a
long stoney climb to reach Tzi n’Guidou pass then down to
check-point 1. 16kms into the race and the difficulties begin as
competitors embark on a beautiful but long string of dunes. They
run (or walk) in the sand up to check-point 3. Experts in the field
are as usual the Ahansal brothers who are first through CP3 despite
taking a wrong turn in the dunes that added to the distance covered.
These two had no time to admire the magnificent peak called Ras
Khammoun, literally meaning « cumin head »; they were
much too busy keeping their 15 minute or so advance on Marco Gozzano
(Ita – N°489) and Samuel Bonaudo (France – N°280).
The advance remains more the less the same through to the finish
line in a sandy valley surrounded by black-marbled mountains. Marco
Gozzano : « I’m happy with my course but worried about
tomorrow ». No surprise there. Tomorrow is the famous long
stage – 76 kms run over two days for some - and often the
decisive point in the entire race.
On the women’s side Simone Keyser from Luxembourg continues
to impose her hold over the other female runners, but is followed
closely by two brilliant MDS first-timers: Virginie Thévenot
and Isabelle Degrand from France. Isabelle is good on the flat
but shows she can also handle the dunes : « I only learned
how to run on the sand yesterday.. another runner showed me how
and it’s really helped today”.
Overall today has been a transition stage with average times a
little slower than the last two days : the top runners are saving
themselves for the major battle tomorrow.
