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STAGE 2
: Rich Merzoug/Ma’der El Kebir
Distance : 35 km – 2 checkpoints
Monday 10 April 2006
Temperature : 42°C at 13h
Hygrometry : 15 % at 13h
719 runners at the start of today’s
stage, 12 had retired
27 retirements in total at 13h
STAGE RANKINGS
Men
1. Lahcen Ahansal (1) 3h03m00
2. Salameh Al Aqra (164) 3h06m10
3. Abderrahmane Maliki (12) 3h11m41
4. ex aequo Samuel Bonaudo (187)/Marco
Olmo (386) : 3h12m00
6. Mohamad Ahansal (2) 3h17m10
PROVISIONAL
GENERAL RANKINGS
Men
1. Lahcen Ahansal (1) 5h06m44
2. Salameh Al Aqra (164) at 7m50
3. Abderrahmane Maliki (12) at 12m56
4. Mohamad Ahansal (2) at 17m00
Women
1. Geraldine Courdesses (153) 7h57m26
2. Touda Didi (3) at 15m30
3. Alessia Bertolino (714) at 15m43
Teams
1. Team Lorans Salomon (France)
6h01m40
2. Comanav 1 (Mar) at 29m 31
3. Legendre Bretagne 1 (France) at
41m08
This could be the most difficult start
to MDS ever. The competitors were given
a rough ride yesterday and today has
proved no different. The problem remains
the same: the combination of high hygrometry
levels and high temperatures mean some
competitors are over-heating.
The first
challenge of today’s
stage was a long climb up an old mining
footpath. Mustapha Ait Amar (30) and
Hassan Oulmyr (28) set a hellish pace
out at the front. They were first through
CP1, followed by the Ahansal brothers
(D1 and D2), Abderrahmane Maliki (12)
and the two Jordanians Salameh Al Aqra
(D164) and Mohammad Al Swaiti (D165).
The same runners are first through
CP2 except Hassan Oulmyr, out of shape
following a fatigue fracture on last
year’s MDS. On leaving CP2, the
runners embarked on a 4-km dune section.
Just as they entered, the windstorm
began, turning the course into a real
calvary. Maliki got lost in the dunes
and wasted precious time. Mohamad Ahansal
got dehydrated : a reminder that he
is, after all, human. Frenchman Samuel
Bonaudo (186) came out well despite
the difficulties : « I took 2
bottles of water at CP2 and drank every
last drop. When I reached the finish
line, I was completely dry ».
Italian veteran Marco Olmo (686) (age
57) finished the course magnificently
despite the difficult conditions. Also
worth noting : while Jordanian Salameh
Al Aqra couldn’t topple the tireless
champion Lahcen Ahansal, he gave the
super-favourite a serious run for his
money. The boxing gloves are off …
On the women’s race, two MDS
first-timers Touda Didi (3, Mor) and
Géraldine Courdesses (153, France),
who put in fine performances yesterday
were beaten today by the surprising
Italian Alessia Bertolino (714). This
restaurant owner from Modena said she’d
come to enjoy herself … and is
keeping her word ! |
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Results 6 are available
(last update 15/04/06 - 22h50
french time)
number of dropping out (stage 6) : 0 |
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June 2005 : opening date for application.
31 july 2005 : application deadline.
28 february 2006 : closing date for fees.
07 april 2006 : departure* France/Morocco, transfer to first bivouac.
08 april 2006 : technical and administrative checks,
acclimatisation day.
09 - 15 april 2006 : the event.
16 april 2006 : transfer, dinner and night at hotel, relaxation,
lunch (at participants’expense), awards, entertainment,
dinner, night at hotel.
18 april 2006 : return* to France.
* those not taking the charter flight to and from France are required to book
their own flight arrangements. Contact your country representative for further
details.
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