A mechanical breakdown deprived Amine Echiguer of a place on the podium of the Morocco Desert Challenge–the second-most-important rally-raid in the world after that of Dakar–which ended his dreams of victory.
Echiguer had been consistently in the top three throughout the race before a mechanical failure ended any hope of the Moroccan flag shining on the podium.
He made no secret of his disappointment, pointing out that in the face of professional teams straight from Europe, his own crew is cruelly lacking in resources, despite the support of its current sponsors.
Echiguer pointed out that he had been using a simple, prefabricated bike, one not at all ideal for competing at his level of performance with professionals from all over the world.
Unfortunately, his current budget does not enable him to afford equipment that would meet international standards, and thus be able to express his true potential.
This year’s Morocco Desert Challenge attracted over 1,400 competitors from 35 different countries, including Echiguer, the lone Moroccan riding a motorbike.
This rally-raid, considered the second most significant in the world after the Dakar’s, connects Agadir and Saidia across a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers in one week.