Nine times World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb in a Peugeot 2008 DKR, did not have a happy start on his first foray on a rally raid. The Peugeot of Loeb apparently developed mechanical problems and had to be towed to the end of the stage at Zagora. The Rally of Morocco isd the final event in the FIA World Championship for Cross Country Rallies.
The first stage of the event was a 322 km loop that started and finished in Zagora. The rally consist of six stages.
Leeroy Poulter in a Totota Hi-Lux finished the stage in 6th prosotion overall provisionally, while his team mate and Dakar winner, Giniel de Villiers in a similar vehicle was 9th overall. The stage was won by Yazeed Al-Rajhi also in a Toyota, with Vladimir Vasilev, in another Toyota decond and Nasser Al-Attiyah third in an X-Raid Mini.
Fourth position was taken up by Carlos Sainz in the Peugeot 2008 DKR, Ricardo Dias Porem was fifth in a Toyota followed by Poulter.
In the bike section, Joan Barreda on a Honda finished in first place followed by Toby Price on a KTM and Helder Rodriques on a Yamaha.
Tomorrow’s stage is a loop that starts in Draa and finishes there after 224 km Many sand and dunes for this 2nd stage ! The race departure will be on fast and sinuous tracks to join a beautiful and large valley. Navigation will be thr priority of the special. To join the CP2, it will be necessary to cross amazing dunes. To finish, competitors will pass through the Oued of Draa during kilometers to find fast tracks.
Full report to follow later.
Top ten overall after stage 1: cars
| 1 | 305 |  |
AL RAJHI Yazeed GOTTSCHALK Timo |
TOYOTA | T1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 03:13:36 | |||
| 2 | 301 |  |
VASILYEV Vladimir ZHILTSOV Konstantin |
TOYOTA | T1 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 03:13:53 | 00:00:17 | ||
| 3 | 300 |  |
AL ATTIYAH Nasser BAUMEL Matthieu |
MINI | T1 / 3 | 2 / 1 | 03:15:14 | 00:01:38 | ||
| 4 | 311 |  |
SAINZ Carlos CRUZ Lucas |
PEUGEOT | T1 / 4 | 4 / 1 | 03:15:39 | 00:02:03 | ||
| 5 | 314 |  |
DIAS POREM Ricardo MONTEIRO Jorge |
TOYOTA | T1 / 5 | 1 / 3 | 03:16:09 | 00:02:33 | ||
| 6 | 328 |  |
POULTER Leeroy norma HOWIE Robert duncan |
TOYOTA | T1 / 6 | 1 / 4 | 03:20:05 | 00:06:29 | ||
| 7 | 304 |  |
VAN LOON Erik ROSEGAAR Wouter |
X-RAID | T1 / 7 | 2 / 2 | 03:24:17 | 00:10:41 | ||
| 8 | 315 |  |
SAZONOV Yuriy SAKHIMOV Arslan |
AUTO SAZONOV/MOROZ | T1 / 8 | 1 / 5 | 03:25:11 | 00:11:35 | ||
| 9 | 310 | |
DE VILLIERS Giniel VON ZITZEWITZ Dirk |
TOYOTA | T1 / 9 | 1 / 6 | 03:25:48 | 00:12:12 | ||
| 10 | 303 |  |
ZAPLETAL Miroslav MARTON Maciej |
AUTO ZAPLETAL Miroslav | T1 / 10 | 1 / 7 | 03:27:58 | 00:14:22 |
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