The tenth edition of the OiLibya Morocco Rally got underway at midday today with the dispute of the short prologue, prior to the start of the first full stage tomorrow. The Monster Energy Honda Team performed well at the event’s curtain-raiser – a tricky route providing a few surprise hazards.

Neither the administrative nor the technical checks proved to be an obstacle for the riders and bikes of Monster Energy Honda Team who were given the green light to take the start of the twelve-kilometre prologue around Fez.

Kevin Benavides was the fastest of the team riders, posting a respectable sixth, despite not having forced the machine in a prologue that contained more dangers than had previously been expected. The Argentine will start in fifth position tomorrow. Partner American Ricky Brabec was ninth, eleven seconds behind Kevin, without really pushing the bike to the limit. Paulo Gonçalves, second in the provisional world championship standings, made a slight error that cost him half a minute. The Portuguese rider is in sixth starting position for the first full stage of the Morocco Rally.

Frenchman Michael Metge, however, was unable to make the start after having contracted a viral infection and was advised by specialists to rest. Metge returned today from Fez to his place of residence to undergo treatment and should to be back on the bike fairly soon.

Tomorrow, Friday, riders will face the first full stage of this OiLibya Morocco Rally, which will the longest in total length, although not the lengthiest timed special stage, which is yet to come. The rally will head south and is scheduled to include some stretches of stony terrain as well as sinuous fast track. The route takes in dry river-bed crossings and ‘oueds’. Before arriving in Erfoud the competitors will have to negotiate a tough navigation section over a stage that totals more than 850 kilometres. The 272.8 kilometre timed section will decide the first overall race leader.

Paulo Goncalves

PROLOGUE: 14th

We have started the Morocco Rally, the final one of the world championship, and the truth is that I did not do so well because I made a small mistake. In a normal stage that would be nothing, but in a prologue it is very costly. We will see how the classification stands and which starting position we have to attack from in the first stage of the 1900 kilometres of special stages that we still have ahead. We have to go easy and not get too nervous and try to do our best in the coming five days.

Kevin Benavides

PROLOGUE: 6th

This prologue was short, but I started quietly. I tried to take it easy because there were some dangers, such as cliff edges, so it was not advisable to go crazy. I do not want it to sound like an excuse, but the airline lost my luggage and I'm not very comfortable with what I have to wear, but I hope it arrives today and can follow the rest of the race with a bit of normality.

Ricky Brabec

PROLOGUE: 9th

It was a short stage. It was more or less just a prologue for the start positions for the real first stage. I didn’t do so well in the prologue - the ground was very hard with a lot of stones. It was tough to ride fast. I started to go fast, blew a corner and ended up in the farm fields. I’m happy to have not tipped the bike over. Now we can get ready for the 900 kilometre date - stage one.

2017 Cross-Country Rallies
Prologue Round FIM-5 , 1   Morocco

Prologue results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Sunderland Sam GBR KTM Factory Racing Team KTM 08:53
2 Walkner Matthias AUT KTM Factory Racing Team KTM +0'00
3 Quintanilla Pablo CHI Husqvarna Factory Rally Team Husqvarna +0'17
4 Van Beveren Adrien FRA Yamaha Motor Europe Yamaha +0'22
5 Sanz Laia SPA KTM Factory Racing Team KTM +0'26
6 Benavides Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +0'34
7 Metge Adrien 11 FRA Sherco TVS Rally Factory Sherco +0'39
8 Rodrigues Joaquim POR Hero Motorsports Team Rally Hero +0'39
9 Brabec Ricky USA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +0'45
10 Pedrero Joan 17 SPA Rieju - FN Speed Team Rieju +0'52
11 Patrao Mario POR KTM Portugal KTM +0'53
13 Botturi Alessandro ITA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +0'55
14 Goncalves Paulo POR Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +1'01
15 Short Andrew USA Husqvarna Factory Rally Team Husqvarna +1'12
Location Information

Morocco has always been a land of rally raid. The story began in 1982 with the arrival of Paris-Agadir, the first rally raid to run in Morocco. The following year, the rally took the name of ‘Atlas Rally’ and became the flagship rally to the Rally Raids calendar. The Atlas… read more.

Winner 2023 Toby Price (KTM)
Winner 2022 Skyler Howes (Husqvarna)
Winner 2021 Pablo Quintanilla (Honda)
Winner 2020 Cancelled due the COVID-19 Pandemic
Winner 2019 Toby Price (KTM)
Winner 2018 Toby Price (KTM)
Winner 2017 Matthias Walkner (KTM)
Winner 2016 Toby Price (KTM)
Winner 2015 Sam Sunderland (KTM)
Winner 2014 Marc Coma (KTM)
Winner 2013 Paulo Gonçalves (Honda)
Winner 2012 Cyril Despres (KTM)

Agadir, Morocco - View in Google Maps