The Saudi Yazeed Al Rajhi (Auto category) and the Botswanan Ross Branch (Motorcycle category) won the first stage of the 22nd edition of the Rally of Morocco, contested Sunday between Agadir and Tan-Tan over a distance of 316 km.
Al Rajhi (Toyota Hilux) completed the stage in 3h 29min and 4sec, ahead of Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing), six-time winner of the Rallye du Maroc, by 3min and 13sec, and by 7min and 29sec the Pole Jacob Przygonski ( X-Raid Mini).
In the Motorcycle category, first place went to Batswana Ross Branch (Hero) after completing the stage in 3h 44min and 56sec, while Argentinian Luciano Benavides (HUSQVARNA, with a 1min and 9sec gap) and the Australian Toby Price (KTM, 2min and 31sec behind) took 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
For his part, Moroccan Amine Echiguer won stage 1B in the “Rally 3” motorcycle category, completing the distance in 4h 47min 17sec, ahead of Frenchman Guillaume Borne (4h 54min 27sec) and Indian Abdul Wahid (5h 02min 55sec).
As for the Quad category, Argentinian Manuel Andujar (Yamaha) took first place covering the distance in 5h 56min and 59sec, ahead of Frenchman Alexandre Giroud (Yamaha, 6h 57sec) and his compatriot Axel Dutry ( Cade, 6h 25min and 16 sec).
Regarding the SSVs (all-terrain utility vehicles), the first step of the podium went to the Portuguese Joao Ferreira in 2h 51min and 53sec, while the 2nd and 3rd places respectively were won by his compatriot Paulo Rui Ferreira (Yamaha) 20min and 55sec behind, and the Dutchman Monny Krant (CAN-AM) with 30min and 19sec behind.
The second stage takes place this Monday between Tan-Tan and Laâyoune, over a distance of 437 km.
Tan-Tan is a reference city of the former Dakar Rally, declared to the press the general manager of the Rally of Morocco, David Castera, adding that it already appeared in 2007 among the stages of this event.
The 2022 Rally of Morocco, 3rd round of the W2RC (World Rally-Raid Championship), started on Sunday from the city of Agadir, with the participation of no less than 342 competitors from all over the world.
Bringing together the categories (car, truck, motorcycle, etc.) on different routes, this Rally will see the participants cover a distance of more than 2,316 km, spread over 5 stages.
Organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this major sporting event, which will continue until October 6, is distinguished by a diversity of reliefs, between valleys, dunes, cliffs and mountains.
The Rally of Morocco is marked this year by a new record in terms of participants (342), representing 36 nationalities and 235 vehicles, an increase of 25% compared to the previous edition, which reflects, according to the organizers, the attachment of the off-road rally community (Cross-Country) to this important sporting event.
