Stage 4 : Maharch/Jebel El Mraïer
Press release at 18h
Distance : 57 km – 5 check-points
Wednesday 11 April 2006
Temperature : 39°C at 18h
Hygrometry : 13 % at 18h
607 competitors at start of this stage i.e. 123 retirements
Total retirements for this stage at 16h : 12

PROVISIONAL STAGE RANKINGS
1. Salameh Al Aqra (D164, Jordan) 4h53m25’’
2. Lahcen Ahansal (1, Morocco) at 3m18
3. Lhoucine Akhdar (369 Morocco) at 25m14
4. Samir Akhdar (20 Morocco) at 27m59’
5. Lionel Eveno (150 France) at 37m37

PROVISIONAL GENERAL RANKINGS
1. Lahcen Ahansal (1, Morocco) 13H14m25
2. Salameh Al Aqra (D164, Jordan) à 23m
3. Abderrahmane Maliki (12 Morocco) à 48m03

PROVISIONAL GENERAL RANKINGS NOT YET AVAILABLE
In view of the severe weather conditions which have taken a heavy toll on competitors, the organisation decided to reduce this long stage by 15km. The decision was also made to double the water rations at the first 3 check-points. Note that John Cahill (494) from Ireland was repatriated to the University Hospital of Bordeaux in France after collapsing from hypothermia on stage 3.
The runners set off today in 2 groups : the first 50 in the general rankings plus the top 5 women at midday, and the rest of the runners at 10h. Spurred on by this advance Moroccans Abdessadek Zaid (29) and Brahim Erregragui (4) treated themselves to staying out in front from start to finish, keeping off the leaders of the second group who were desperate to close the gap. Jordanian Salameh Al Aqra (164) from group 2 showed real panache right from the beginning of this stage. He didn’t flinch for a moment and crossed the finish line more than 3 minutes ahead of Lahcen Ahansal. A historic victory: the first time in years that a runner has broken the Ahansal family monopoly on all stages of the race.
Note that the vast majority of the race so far is being run in terrible conditions : sandstorms, low visibility, high humidity levels and very high temperatures.

Salameh Al Aqrah (164) : « I’m disappointed the stage wasn’t longer, I could have taken even more off Lahcen. But you know he’s still ahead in the general rankings »
Lahcen Ahansal (1) : « I got a bit lost in calculating the distances between check-points due to the last minute changes to the route. But I came to win MDS, not necessarily every stage »