DUTCH DES SABLES
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25/03/2007 - Communiqué n°2
Stage
n°1 : IRHS - KHERMOU – 29,3
km
Sunday 25 March 2007 -
KHERMOU at 4:00 pm
Temperature : 43° at 14h /
Humidity : 14% at 14h
Sunny, light wind
STAGE RANKINGS :
Men:
1- Mohamed AHANSAL (MOR) in 2h 12min 08
2- Lahcen AHNSAL (MOR) in 2h13 min 09
3- Abderrahmane MALIKI (MOR) in 2h 14 min 30
4- Jorge AUBESO MARTINE (SP) in 2h19 min 26
5- Philippe RAYMOND (FR) in 2h19min 58
Women:
1- Laurence FRICOTTEAUX (FR) in 3h00min 07
2- Graldine COURDESSES (FR) in 3h10 min 25
3- Touda DIDI (MOR) in 3h 11 min 06
After a very
cold night, the 757 competitors in this year’s race were in high spirits as
they set off on today’s 29.3 km long stage.
Started with a straight 4km stretch, taking the
runners to Diat Al Atrous. They cross the oued,
amply filled with water following recent rains,
via an impressive bridge. Amazing landscape for
the first part of the course.
A few kms later, at CP1 (check-point 1, km12) competitors
are given their first bottle of water. The Ahansal
brothers are first through; Lahcen followed by
Mohamad. Another Moroccan - Mustapha Ait Amar -
follows on their heels. It’s hot, with light
breeze, they go through the first series of dunes
and cross a wide plateau of black rock to reach
CP2 (km 19.8) where they’re given 2 bottles
of water. CP2 is on a high point with an extraordinary
view over two surrounding valleys.
The runners attack the first hill climbs followed
by a series of dunes. 26.5kms into the race they
cross a sandy plain giving them their first glimpse
of the bivouac, in oued Rheris. This first stage
gives the competitors an overview of the terrain
on MARATHON DES SABLES 2007: passages through jebel,
a oued, crossing small dunes and stoney plateaux.
Mohamed AHANSAL is first over the finish line in
just 2h 12min. His brother, the reigning champion
Lahcen, arrives one minute later followed by Lhoucine
AKHDAR. They were chased all the way by Jorge Aubeso
(SP) (world vice champion 100km and 6 times Spain
champion 100 km). He put in a fine performance.
30 seconds later Frenchman Philippe REMOND (3 times
champion of the French Marathon and world champion
in 1997) finishes his course despite a knee injury.
On the women’s side, Laurence FRICOTTEAUX
led the race all the way. Finishing in under three
hours she takes 30th place in the general. Géraldine
COURDESSES comes in second, 10 minutes later earning
her 40th place. She appears to be suffering from
the knee injury incurred this winter. Didi TOUDA
from Morocco finishes just one minute later. The
women’s race promises to be thrilling this
year.
Doc Trotter, the medical team on MDS, have had
a pleasantly unremarkable day with small interventions
(bandages, blister treatment and so on). But what
will tomorrow bring ?
