Albert Martens is an old hand at the Marathon des Sables. Drawing on 4 past appearances, this 61 year old Canadian is running this year for the Athletes in Action / Canada team in order to support a charity. This morning, Albert is relaxed but nevertheless very disappointed... He has actually been forced to withdraw because of digestion problems: “I’m thinking about Walter and Dale who have finished this 91km stage and are now resting to prepare for tomorrow”. For this competitor, the race is finished, but he will give great mental support to his two teammates. His thoughts this morning go out in particular to his close friends and family, with a specific dedication to his mother aged 102...