Stage
n°4 : 28-29/03/2007 JEBEL ZIREG
OUEST / OUEST DU KFIROUN 70,5
Km
Communiqué n°5 : 28/03/07 at
15h
Stage n°4: JEBEL ZIREG OUEST/OUEST DU KFIROUN – 70
.5 Km
Number of participants starting the stage: 741
Terrain: Long plateaux, stony ground, crossing of
4 very sandy wadis, long crossing of dunes from CP3
onwards
Temperature : 33° at 14h.
Hygrometry : 18% at 14h
Sunny and hot, tail wind
6 CPs (check-points)
Impressive sunrise on the bivouac
for the start of today’s stage, the mythic stage of MARATHON
DES SABLES. The one everyone looks forward to and
yet fears. 70.5 KM this year. Runners leave in
two groups : one at 12H15 consisting of the top
50 competitors in the general and the top 5 women.
All the others leave at 9H15. Some competitors
have taken a strategic approach to their rankings
up to now… trying not to feature in the top
fifty so as to benefit from cooler temperatures
in the morning and have less time out on the course
at night.
The terrain on this stage is typical of the MARATHON
DES SABLES, long flat plateau, crossing of sandy
uneven wadis and zones of dunes. A lot of sand
for this non-stop stage. There’ll be a tough
fight for third place between Abderrahmane MALIKI
(MOR – D25), Jorge AUBESO MARTINEZ (SP D551)
and Aziz EL AKAD (MOR- D 26). With less than 3
minutes between them, there’s everything
to play for, and why not even close in on the AHANSAL
brothers (MOR-D1 and D2), currently in the lead.
The first group set a fast pace, led by Frenchman
Dominique NUGRE (D321). He completes the first
10.5kms to reach CP1 in 62 minutes. He’s
also first through CP2, 7 minutes ahead of his
nearest rival. He’s running the race alone,
whereas normally runs with his mates in the second
group. He therefore has to set his own pace and
above all get through the dunes alone. Luckily
he’s a good navigator. But at the start of
the dunes at KM34, he’s overtaken by Tobias
Joos (D425) from Germany. He’s first through
CP4, 42kms into the race.
On the women’s side, Luisa BALSAMO (ITA-D397)
is neck and neck with Frenchwoman Veronique MATUR
(D-229) for the first 2 check-points, but by CP4
Matur has overtaken the Italian.
Meanwhile the leaders from second group who left
three hours after the others are advancing fast.
Just 10kms into the race, at CP1, the leaders catch
up with the last competitors from the first group.
It’s always an impressive sight and a real
feature of this mythic long stage. Just before
CP3, the race is led by Lahcen AHANSAL (D1 MOR)
followed by Mohamed AHANSAL (D3 MOR) and Lhoucine
AKHDAR (D5 MOR). A short distance behind Jorge
AUBESO (D551 SP) continues his course on his own.
Notably absent from the group of leaders : the
Moroccans Abderhamane MALIKI and Aziz EL AKAD.
The leaders are expected to cross the finish line
in the early evening.
Most competitors however will
be spending at least part of the night out on the
course, guided by
a laser installed at CP5. The have to reach CP4
(KM42) by 01h00 and have 34 hours in total to finish
this stage. In keeping with the good old MARATHON
DES SABLES tradition, all the competitors and members
of the organisation will be out at the finish line
to applaud the very last runner (or walker) to
finish this most mythic of stages. |
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