Africa Eco Race, Stage 5: Time For A Break

[advrider]

Today was the longest day for the Eco Race, distance-wise, with some tricky navigation and a difficult crossing through a wadi. The timed special was 450 kilometers, and at the end of that, the riders had to slog out another 240+ kilometers on a transit stage. When the dust settled, Husqvarna-mounted Xavier Flick took advantage of his fifth-position start on the day to work up to the front and take the stage.

It was Flick’s first stage victory in in a big African rally raid, and it was the last stage in Morocco. It was an important day for Flick, then, but probably just as important a day for Francesca Gasperi. Today, Gasperi earned a top-10 finish, the first woman to do so at this race in its history.

Yamaha’s Alessandro Botturi also had a good day, riding at the front of the pack to move up another couple of spots in the overall standings, clawing back the massive time penalty he was handed over Stage 3. He won the last two Eco Races, and he hasn’t given up on this one yet:

It was a good but tough stage. I was riding with the leading three for the whole stage, so I could push hard using them as markers, which was important on a stage like today, where navigation was very tough due to the lack of visual markers. It is so impressive that I could keep up with them on their 450cc bikes on a bike you can buy at your local dealer. The Ténéré 700 World Raid is a truly remarkable machine. The stage was physically hard, but to secure fourth to go with my victory in Stage 2 and podium during Thursday’s stage, means we have made up lots of time in the general classification.

Tomorrow is a rest day; when the riders resume, the action moves to Mauritania, with lots of deep sand awaiting unwary and tired riders.

See the results for Stage 5 below, followed by the overall standings:

Stage 5 Scratch:

Etape 5 RAZ EL QUEBIR / DAKHLA
Classement sur Secteur Sélectif 5 – 450,82 km – 22/10/2022		47 concurrent(s) classé(s)

Overall results after Stage 5

Etape 5 RAZ EL QUEBIR / DAKHLA
Classement Général – 22/10/2022		47 concurrent(s) classé(s)

 

 

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