Ventura builds Rally 2 advantage in Morocco with one stage remaining

All three Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally 2 riders were well rested after yesterday’s tough stage and ready for another day through Morocco’s stunning landscapes.  Another 450 km loop from the Zagora bivouac awaited, with fast, sandy valley tracks interspersed with small dunes and canyon trails before a rocky plateau led the riders towards the finish.

Martim Ventura has been the man to beat in Rally 2 this week, but today’s stage four was set to test him as he looked to put together a mistake-free performance.  However, an issue with his roadbook switch meant he was unable to scroll through his notes, severely hampering his navigation early in the stage.  He was therefore happy to join up with Rally GP riders Daniel Sanders, Ricky Brabec and Adrien Van Beveren, gaining valuable experience riding alongside them for the remainder of the stage.  Ventura eventually finished third in the Rally 2 class and extended his overall advantage over nearest rival Michael Docherty to nearly 30 minutes with just one stage remaining.

Bruno Crivilin enjoyed a better day, with fewer dunes to tackle after struggling in them yesterday.  The Brazilian ran inside the top five Rally 2 riders throughout the stage as he focused on getting his navigation right.  He eventually finished fifth, 6’33” behind stage winner Docherty, bringing another valuable day of experience in these conditions as he continues his preparations for next year’s Dakar.

It was a tougher day for Preston Campbell, who lost time through a couple of mistakes and crashes.  He ended the stage in sixth, 7’08” back, but importantly still holds a place on the provisional overall podium.  He’ll need to keep an eye on Neels Theric on tomorrow’s final stage, however, after the Frenchman halved the deficit, with just five minutes now separating the pair.

With the finish line almost in sight for the Honda Rally 2 trio, just 259 km of timed action now stands between Ventura and victory at the 27th edition of the Rallye du Maroc.