The students from Twente were already defending more than half an hour in the general classification and were allowed to start first in Merzouga on Thursday. In the 447 kilometre drive, the team encountered several challenges. As in previous days, RED Horizon faced hectic traffic in villages and towns along the way. As it rained in Morocco on Wednesday, the car also had to cross several flooded wadis. In addition, the team got through the sharpest corner of the week with ease.
With one stage to go, things look good for the team from Twente, which has never won before. The lead on Belgian competitor Agoria Solar Team has increased to about 50 minutes. The final stage will take place on Friday over 475 kilometres from Zagora to the port city of Agadir, where the finish line has been drawn at the Stade Adrar. A ceremony will follow there.
Update: Comment Mark van Eijk (communication): 'The tension increases, but we remain focused. It looks good for us, but so much can happen in one stage. Today we got through a wadi well, but if the water had come a few centimetres higher it would have been finished'.
'Tomorrow we descend from 1,800 metres to 0 metres. Fortunately, we were in early today, so we were able to put the car in the sun for a relatively long time. It looks like Belgium is our only competitor. We hope we can get the job done.'
