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Portraits
Laurie
Andrews (465) and Michele Jensen (500), positive
Helder
Alexandre Sousa Ferreira (613), surprising
Desert
Team 22 (328, 329, 330, 331,332), focused
Ian
Sharman (821), motivated
Shigemi
Hazama (631), hilarious
Gilles
Diehl (141), modest
Mohamad
Ahansal (1), under pressure
Al
Aqra’ Salameh (71), ambitious
Jorge
Aubeso Martinez (622), zen
Touda
Didi (6), determined
Ryan
Gregory (526), hollywoodian
Sylvie
Alcala Bournat (187), serene
Stéphane
Lesoin (207), reliable
Louis
Cornevin (48), passionate
David
and Mark Simon (531 and 532), together
Paddy
Haddock (892), fishy |
COMPETITORS'
CORNER
Akanksha Foundation
Cancer Research UK
St. Vincent’s cancer
Passion Trophy
Noma Facing Africa
AICR
ING Chances for Children
Fred Hollows Foundation
RUN 4 CHILDREN
Competitors list - 2008
Blackfriars’s School
OFFICIAL
PARTNERS
KIA MOTORS
NEW BALANCE
THEOLIA
Buff
ONMT
Sidi Ali
transavia.com
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| 03/04/2008 - Stage 4 : Ba Hallou/Oued Ahssia :
75,5 km |
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Weather
conditions at 5.30 am : 6,5 °C and 38% hygrometry
Weather conditions at 8.00 am : 16 °C and 24%
hygrometry
Weather conditions at 12.00 am : 42,5 °C and
14% hygrometry
Stage 4 Men ranking
1 AL AQRA Salameh (71) 06H32'51 moyenne : 11,53
2 AHANSAL Mohamad (1) 06H33'07" écart
: 0H00'16" moyenne : 11,52
3 EL AKAD Aziz (28) 06H43'30" écart
: 0H10'39" moyenne :11,23
4 AIT AMAR Mustapha (4) 06H48'10" écart
: 0H15'19" moyenne :11,10
5 AKHDAR Samir (2) 06H57'06" écart
: 0H24'15" moyenne :10,86
6 AUBESO MARTINEZ Jorge (622) 07H05'05" écart
: 0H32'14 moyenne : 10,66
7 LARHALMI Hamid (319) 07H23'55" écart
: 0H51'04" moyenne :10,20
8 AKHDAR Lhoucine (3) 07H33'01" écart
: 1H00'10" moyenne : 10,00
9 AL SWAITI Mohammad (70) 07H33'40" écart
: 1H00'49" moyenne :9,99
10 TRINCHERI Lorenzo (458) 07H34'00" écart
: 1H01'09" moyenne :9,98
10 OLMO Marco (460) 07H34'00" écart
: 1H01'09" moyenne :9,98
Stage 4 Women ranking
1 DIDI Touda 6 10H40'02" average speed 7,08
2 KAYSER Simone 400 10H48'40" time difference
with top runner: 0H08'38" average speed :
6,98
2 KAYSER Lis 402 10H48'40" difference: 0H08'38" average
speed : 6,98
4 LANTHIER BRANDNER Chloe 507 11H16'10" difference:
0H36'08" average speed : 6,70
5 LOOS Marie Louise 405 11H28'50" difference
: 0H48'48" average speed : 6,58
6 ANDREWS Laurie 465 11H40'16" difference
: 1H00'14" average speed : 6,47
7 LUCAS Suzanne 509 11H47'41" difference :
1H07'39" average speed : 6,40
8 GAUTHIER Monique 54 12H03'07" difference
: 1H23'05" average speed : 6,26
9 BERLOTINO Alessia 577 12H07'28" difference
: 1H27'26" average speed : 6,23
9 WORTH Catherine 863 12H07'28" difference
: 1H27'26" average speed : 6,23
Stage 4 General
Men ranking
1 AHANSAL Mohamad 1 15H07'24" average speed
: 12,27
2 AL AQRA Salameh 71 15H24'13" difference:
0H16'49" average speed : 12,05
3 EL AKAD Aziz 28 15H53'00" difference : 0H45'36" average
speed : 11,69
4 AIT AMAR Mustapha 4 16H01'33" difference
: 0H54'09" average speed : 11,58
5 AUBESO MARTINEZ Jorge 622 16H12'19" difference
: 1H04'55" average speed : 11,45
6 AKHDAR Samir 2 16H27'10" difference : 1H19'46" average
speed : 11,28
7 AKHDAR Lhoucine 3 17H06'45" difference:
1H59'21" average speed : 10,85
8 AL SWAITI Mohammad 70 17H16'26" difference:
2H09'02" average speed : 10,74
9 TRINCHERI Lorenzo 458 17H22'31" difference:
2H15'07" average speed : 10,68
10 LARHALMI Hamid 319 17H26'29" difference
: 2H19'05" average speed : 10,64
Stage 4 General
Women ranking
1 DIDI Touda 6 22H51'52" average speed : 8,12
2 KAYSER Simone 400 24H50'20" difference:
1H58'28" average speed : 7,47
2 KAYSER Lis 402 24H50'20" difference : 1H58'28" average
speed : 7,47
4 LOOS Marie Louise 405 25H41'30 difference : 2H49'38" average
speed : 7,22
5 CORNE Katell 277 27H53'53" difference :
5H02'01" average speed : 6,65
6 GROSE Fleur 494 27H54'11" difference : 5H02'19" average
speed : 6,65
7 LANTHIER BRANDNER Chloe 507 27H55'31" difference:
5H03'39" average speed : 6,65
8 BERLOTINO Alessia 577 28H08'12" difference:
5H16'20" average speed : 6,60
9 DEGRAND Isabelle 59 28H09'33" difference:
5H17'41" average speed : 6,59
9 LOGIUDICE Anna 82 28H09'33" difference :
5H17'41" average speed : 6,59
Team general ranking
after stage 4
1 ERTIPS 1,2,3 07H01'05" 0H00'00" average
speed 10,76
2 THEOLIA 3 28,319,320 07H43'02" difference
: 0H41'57" average speed : 9,78
3 LEGENDRE BRETAGNE 2 144,145,146 08H41'59" difference
: 1H40'54" average speed : 8,68
4 KIA MOTORS 4,5,6 09H57'39" difference :
2H56'34" average speed : 7,58
5 POMPIER PRO GENEVE 120,121,122 10H16'35" difference:
3H15'30" average speed : 7,35
6 WESTRAC 475,476,477 10H27'30" difference
: 3H26'25" average speed : 7,22
7 MAGIC EQUIP 566,567,568 10H51'25" difference
: 3H50'20" average speed : 6,95
8 KARIMAROC 234,235,236,237,238 10H54'05" difference
: 3H53'00" average speed : 6,93
9 BOLINO - MEUPHINE 232,242,276,277 11H03'40" difference
: 4H02'35" average speed : 6,83
10 LES YEUX DU DESERT 66,68,69 difference : 11H20'49" 4H19'44" average
speed : 6,65
All competitors have got the same thing
in mind: the worst is over… At 7 am this morning,
19 runners had given up just before or during
the stage. Others kept arriving all through the
night, making the finish line a very moving scene.
All kinds of reactions could be seen: most often
joy of course, but also pride, tears or sheer
disbelief to have finally got through. The long
line of head lamps guided by a green laser in
the middle of the desert made a deeply poetical
image, definitely the most striking moment of
the race, suspended in time, to remain forever
in everyone’s memory. Be they competitors
or staff.
Needless to say, top runners arrive before nightfall,
as did Moroccan competitor Touda Didi, who left
her female challengers way behind. Unless something
drastic happens, she should finish this stunning
week with a well deserved title. She is two hours
ahead of the second woman, Simone Kayzer, who will
find it extremely difficult to catch up with her,
despite her great experience on the MDS.
On the men’s side, Al Aqra is only sixteen
minutes behind Mohamad Ahansal : not an impossible
gap to fill. But the Jordanian will have to run
a phenomenal stage tomorrow, and bet on some sudden
weakness from the Moroccan favourite - something
unlikely to happen from an athlete on top shape,
well on his way to succeed his brother.
This “resting” day – only truly
restful for the lead of the race – allows
bodies to have a break, especially after huge temperature
variations (35°C difference between night and
day) and a course most competitors described as “really
complex”. Tomorrow is the classic marathon
day, a last test before the fairly easy final stage.
Despite tiredness, and a blasting heat, there’s
a definite sense of relief on the bivouac, nearly
a holiday feel…
This stage is a “tour de force” not
only for the runners but also for the organisation:
everyone has to give its best, especially in the
night
time. A laser will be guiding the competitors who also have luminous sticks
and distress flares. Doctors and race officials are spread along the course
in six check points. They will not getting more sleep than the runners, staying
up all night, under the supervision of two most useful helicopters. Today
more than ever, managing the race is a real challenge.
Some competitors plan to
run straight to the next bivouac; others will be making good use of the last
three check points to get some rest and have a bite to eat.
Coursewise, the
heat is in two phases: an extremely difficult first
one, with a terribly steep climb (25% slope factor),
and an easier 2nd one, with
flat
and straight grounds, an opportunity for the lead of the race to have a bit
of a fight.
One thing’s for sure though: tomorrow night, all competitors
will be champions. |
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