The fifth stage of the Morocco Desert Challenge, from Smara to Assa, was described by the competitors as long, fast, and above all… dusty. While the roadbook promised a day full of variety, in reality it turned into a gruelling endurance test across endless fast tracks. Yet, the leaderboard was brightly colored in orange, with several Dutch teams braving the heat, fesh-fesh, and long distances to claim top positions.
Van den Brink dominant again, DaklaPack Rallysport back in the top ten
The undisputed star of the day was Mitchel van den Brink, who, together with navigator Bart van Heun, once again dominated the SSV category. Thanks to excellent navigation, they built a comfortable lead in the technical sections. “It was a long stage today, lots of fast parts, not as varied as we had expected,” Van den Brink commented. “But we’ve put ourselves in a great position for a better starting spot tomorrow.”
Just 2 minutes and 6 seconds behind were Lex Peters and Mark Salomons in their Arcane T3. The experienced Erik van Loon completed the Dutch top three, finishing third. Despite the relentless dust, Van Loon managed to find his rhythm: “It was tough to push today, but we still managed to maintain a good pace.”
Special mention goes to Henk and Pim Klaassen from DaklaPack Rallysport. After two tough days battling mechanical issues, the father-and-son duo fought their way back to an impressive sixth place in the stage results. A welcome boost for the team, clearly regaining momentum.
Grouwels & Meijer secure a strong podium finish
In the car category, it was Simon Vitse who claimed the win in his MD Rallye Sport vehicle, but the Dutch drivers performed brilliantly too. Roger Grouwels and Rudolf Meijer powered their Century to a fine third place, just 9 minutes behind the winner. Rik van den Brink and Gydo Heimans followed closely in fourth position.
Mike van Eikeren and Jasper Riezebos finished sixth, while Michiel Becx and Wouter de Graaff also secured a solid top-ten finish, despite receiving a three-minute time penalty.
Huzink family keeps it thrilling
The truck category turned into a spectacular Dutch showdown. Kay Huzink came out on top, with just 42 seconds to spare over Martin van den Brink. “We lost our way a bit around kilometre 25, but after that, we really managed to push,” Huzink reflected.
Gert Huzink suffered some setbacks with a broken engine mount and had to ease off the pace. “Luckily, we made it to the finish without major time loss, so the mechanics can fix it for tomorrow,” he reported afterwards. Still, both the Huzink and Van den Brink teams kept a firm grip on the standings.
Lieverdink holds steady in harsh conditions
In the bike category, it was Frenchman Amaury Baratin who took the stage win, leaving the competition behind on his KTM. Best-placed Dutch rider was Gerben Lieverdink, who gritted his teeth to finish 16th in the daily standings. Battling through the fesh-fesh and the dust kicked up by those ahead, he kept his cool and delivered a steady performance.
Highlights of the day
The fifth stage had been billed as a varied spectacle, but on the ground, it turned out to be a long, fast, and dusty affair. Mitchel van den Brink remarked afterwards that it was “not as varied as promised,” though he still managed to make a difference in the technical parts. Erik van Loon spent the day in the dust clouds of his competitors, making it difficult to launch a full attack.
A standout comeback came from Henk and Pim Klaassen of DaklaPack Rallysport. After earlier engine troubles this week, they fought back strongly today to reclaim a spot in the SSV top ten — an important morale boost for the team.
The truck category stayed tense until the very last kilometres. Kay Huzink secured the victory, but Martin van den Brink was only 42 seconds behind. Both teams are keeping the fight for daily victories firmly in Dutch hands.
Navigation once again proved to be crucial. Gert Huzink lost time at a tricky navigation point, while Kay Huzink also briefly lost the right track, but thanks to quick corrections, they barely lost any time.
Looking ahead to stage 6: Foum Zguid awaits
Stage six of the Morocco Desert Challenge leads from Assa to Foum Zguid over 312 kilometres. After a long 187-kilometre liaison, a challenging special awaits, featuring rugged riverbeds, technical sections, and a highlight of a 20-kilometre dune section. Competitors are hoping for less dust and more variety — exactly what was missing today.
