The fourth stage of the 2025 Carta Rallye featured a 199-kilometer loop around Mhamid, which was adjusted at the last minute due to flooding in the oued. Despite incorporating some familiar sections from stage 3, competitors had to stay sharp: the route included many misleading tracks, tricky navigation, a 35 km dune section, and fast stretches across the expansive Lake Iriki. Those who could effectively balance speed and precision were rewarded, especially stage winners Martim Ventura on the bikes and Simon Vitse in the cars.
Ventura unstoppable among the bikes
Once again, Martim Ventura showcased his skills in the desert. The Portuguese rider dominated the stage with a finishing time of 2:34:54, just 33 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Benjamin Melot, who finished second once again. Third place went to the revitalized Alessandro Botturi, who clocked his best result since stage 1 with a time of 2:50:19. Close behind was Kevin Gallas with 2:50:36, followed by Gautier Paulin, who rounded out the top five with 2:51:22 — marking the third Yamaha in a row.
Notably, Noa Sainct delivered a strong performance by fighting his way into tenth place, while several regular front-runners such as Charlie Herbst (11th) and Nicolas Charlier (8th) lost some ground. Many riders further back suffered significant delays or failed to finish altogether, including Craita, Cayla, and Duprey, all of whom recorded a DNF. With this result, Ventura strengthens his lead in the overall standings and seems well on his way to overall victory.
Vitse dominates again in the cars
In the car rankings, it was once again Simon Vitse, navigated by Max Delfino, who emerged fastest with an impressive time of 2:18:08. This solidifies his lead in the overall classification. The duo Goncalves/Magalhaes finished second in their SSV — the only team to come in within half an hour of Vitse — with a time of 2:52:36. Casteu/Bonnet took third in the SSV category with 2:57:28, just ahead of Pelichet/Lecourbe, who dropped to fourth after receiving a one-minute penalty. The fifth spot was a surprise, claimed by Bergeret/Bergeret with a time of 3:00:16 — their best result so far.
In the subcategories, Cambier/Brousse stood out with a strong performance. After a string of setbacks, they finally showed their potential with an eighth-place finish in their buggy. Conversely, the team of Choblet/Magat had an off day, slipping to 25th place and falling out of the top standings. Even more striking was the high number of DNFs: no fewer than eleven teams failed to finish, including several from the top 20.
Onward to Merzouga
Tomorrow, the rally finally departs from the Mhamid bivouac and heads toward the iconic dunes of Merzouga. The route promises variety: competitors will begin on hard tracks with numerous changes in direction, pass through small dunes and a military checkpoint, navigate a mountainous section with technical challenges, and end in the outskirts of the Erg Chebbi dune field. Navigation, technical driving skills, and endurance will be crucial in this nearly 290-kilometer stage. With the leaderboard beginning to take shape, the pressure is mounting. Mistakes from now on will be ruthlessly punished.
