The Morocco Desert Challenge has officially kicked off with a tough prologue of 83 kilometres from Agadir to the bivouac in Plage Blanche. In total, the first day covered 260 kilometres including liaison sections. Competitors were immediately faced with a challenging mix of fast tracks, sharp navigation, and a variety of terrain: beaches, dunes, and a combination of soft and quick sandy pistes.
The first 32 kilometres of the liaison were far from a punishment. After about 7.5 kilometres from the Al Amal Square, competitors left the main road and ventured through a beautiful forested area with winding tracks leading to the start of the prologue. The 83-kilometre prologue itself was a real spectacle. The opening 10 kilometres ran along the coastline, with occasional dunes and stunning tracks next to the sea. The landscape then shifted to pampas: vast open plains with rolling terrain and fast sandy tracks. Navigation here proved to be crucial, with many tricky left-right combinations, especially at high speeds.
Bikes: Arnau Lledo takes the lead
In the bikes category, it was Spaniard Arnau Lledo who crossed the finish line first. With a time of 1:17:07, he narrowly edged out fellow Spaniard Amaury Baratin, who followed just three seconds behind. Nicolas Horeaux completed the podium in third place.
Further down the field, Dutch and Belgian riders also clocked their first kilometres in Morocco. Gerben Lieverdink finished 19th, while Guillaume Martens came home in 23rd place. The prologue immediately highlighted the tough conditions awaiting the riders: deep ruts, loose sand, and plenty of technical riding.
SSV: Dutch success with Mitchel van den Brink leading the charge
In the SSV category, Mitchel van den Brink had a strong start to the rally. Together with navigator Bart van Heun, he claimed the stage win, despite a challenging start where he was only 9th at the first waypoint. From there, he steadily climbed through the field to set the fastest time of 1:01:35. Lex Peters and Mark Salomons also delivered a solid performance, finishing second, followed by Erik Wevers and Floor Maten in third. The Dutch dominance in the SSVs makes it clear that the battle in this class will be fierce!
Henk and Pim Klaassen finished a respectable 15th in their DaklaPack Rallysport Taurus, showing they are also ready to fight for the top positions.
There was disappointment for Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar. A lack of fuel caused them to stop and lose valuable time. Van Loon, however, remained positive: “The driving went really well. The cooperation with Wouter was great, and the car is fantastic. So we hold on to that. It’s very frustrating that the car came to a stop and we lost so much time because of it. But the rally is still long, so we’ll see what’s possible.”
Cars: Becx and De Graaff Dominate the Prologue
In the cars category, victory went to Michiel Becx and Wouter de Graaff. From the very first metres, they set the pace and steadily extended their lead. They finished with a strong time of 57:30, followed by Mike van Eikeren and Jasper Riezebos, who managed to limit their deficit to just over two minutes. Janus van Kasteren and Marcel Snijders took third place, underlining the strong Dutch presence in the car category.
Trucks: Kay Huzink starts strong
In the trucks, Kay Huzink, together with Joël Ebbers and Martin Roesink, grabbed the lead after the prologue. With a consistent run, they topped the leaderboard, ahead of Gert Huzink and his team. Egbert Wingens initially completed the top three but later received a time penalty, allowing Martin van den Brink to move up to third in the standings.
A standout participant in the trucks is Cedric Goumaz with the #508 Massey Ferguson tractor, aiming to compete in the Dakar Rally in 2026.
Looking Ahead to Stage 2: Plage Blanche to Laayoune
Tomorrow begins with a short 16-kilometre liaison, after which the competitors will tackle a grueling 354-kilometre special stage, followed by a substantial 143-kilometre liaison to the next bivouac.
The stage consists of three distinct specials, each separated by short liaisons to bypass towns like TanTan. The start will be from a plateau, as high morning tides make it impossible to start from Plage Blanche. Soon after, the competitors will descend into a canyon and follow the Oued Auorira for 16 kilometres. A steep climb then leads to a new plateau, followed by 80 kilometres of pure driving pleasure: sandy, winding tracks through stunning landscapes. In the second part of the stage, navigation becomes even more critical over gravel tracks. The day ends with plenty of variety once again: sandy tracks, a 15-kilometre sandy oued, and finally a fast section along the famous “Piste du Dakar.” In short: a serious challenge for true rally fans!
