30 March 2009 -
Erg Chebbi/Erg Znaïgui : 33 km
Conditions at 10am : 20°C and 36% hygrometry
Conditions at 1.30pm : 29°C and 24% hygrometry
1st stage Men ranking and General ranking
- Mohamad Ahansal (2-Morocco) : 2h34m35s
- Aziz El Akad (3-Morocco) : 2h34m37s
- Lahcen Ahansal (1-Morocco) : 2h35m21s
- 4.Salameh Al Aqrah (357-Jord) 2h38m17s
- 5.Michael Wardian (870-USA) 2h46m48s
1st stage Women ranking and General ranking
- . Touda Didi (265- Morocco) : 3h29m
812 competitors set off this morning at 10.am at the foot of the Morocco' highest dunes. Mild temperatures, fresh wind... the regular racers noticed a huge change from the old routine. So impatient to compete, the favourites got lost in the last dunes of Erg Znaïgui, avoiding previously slippery wadis. Accordingly, the lead runners, including unsurprisingly the Ahansal brothers, the moroccan El Akkad and the Jordanian El Aqrah, had to run 3km longer than the initial route. An unusual orientation blunder for these old hands, which underlines again this edition is really special.
Despite the come back this year of Lahcen Ahansal, the first heat was a real contest. On the finish line, the moroccan runner seemed really confident ?competitors are better and better trained...The race is far from finished, everybody is really excited... but the situation is rapidly going to become clearer ?. In a great shape, the American Michael Wardian did an excellent performance today, with a beautiful fifth ranking. Participating for just the second time (26 in 2000), his ambitions are really clear: ?my goal is the first place, I am not here to lose ?.
Unsurprisingly, on the women's side, the Moroccan Touda Didi left her challengers way behind. Proof that solidarity is one of the most important values shared by competitors, Fabien Debaucheron (260 – France) lent her a helping hand by restoring her bag during the race. Let this exciting adventure begin.
| 
