With everything still to play for, stage five promised one last test in the Moroccan desert. After a 98 km road section, riders launched into a demanding 234 km special featuring the spectacular Chegaga dunes, before another liaison led to a final flat-out, timed 23 km dash back towards the Zagora bivouac.

Brabec started the day with just 1’44” in hand over Luciano Benavides in the fight for third overall, leaving no room for error and he wasted little time stamping his authority on the stage, setting the fastest pace by the 91 km checkpoint aboard his Honda CRF450 RALLY. With small changes to the bike helping him attack the high-speed terrain with confidence, Brabec continued to turn up the pressure. Kilometre by kilometre, the gap grew and by the end of the opening timed section he had put two minutes between himself and Benavides. The last 23 km switched the rhythm completely, with a slower and rockier route standing between Brabec and the finish. The two-time Dakar champion kept his cool, controlled the final kilometres and charged home to take his second stage victory of the week. The result marked Brabec’s 15th World Rally-Raid Championship stage victory and crucially, secured third place overall at the Rallye du Maroc – his fifth podium at the event.

Tosha Schareina also finished the rally on a high. Last year’s winner had endured a difficult opening to the week, but as the kilometres passed, the Spaniard rediscovered his rhythm and confidence aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY. His speed over the final three days underlined his determination to fight his way back towards the front and on the final stage he was once again right in the mix. Staying within striking distance of Brabec’s pace, Schareina pushed hard to claim third on the stage, finishing just 3’03” behind his teammate.

Adrien Van Beveren’s Rallye du Maroc followed a similar pattern. After a challenging start, the Frenchman steadily rebuilt his momentum, finding a strong rhythm and pushing his way back towards the leading group. The final day, however, brought one more stern test. An early navigation error combined with difficult, dusty conditions cost him valuable time and ultimately prevented him from climbing higher than sixth on the stage, 6’09” behind Brabec.

With his sights firmly set on his 12th Dakar Rally in January, Van Beveren nevertheless leaves Morocco with valuable kilometres under his belt and important lessons learned for both rider and machine ahead of rally-raid’s biggest challenge.

With round four of the World Rally-Raid Championship complete, the title fight remains finely poised. Schareina is tied with Benavides, 13 points behind championship leader Daniel Sanders, while Brabec sits just four points further back. Van Beveren is now sixth in the standings on 52 points.

After a demanding week in Morocco and a final day capped by Brabec’s stage victory and overall podium, the Monster Energy Honda HRC riders can now recover, regroup and turn their focus towards the challenges ahead.

Source: Monster Energy Honda HRC