“I’m just happy to have crossed the finish line”: an eventful Friday in Morocco

An entire week of racing can seem smooth and successful, but experienced competitors know there is no room to relax or celebrate too early until the finish line has actually been crossed. On the penultimate day of Rallye du Maroc, CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team rider Antanas Kanopkinas had more than his share of adventures, and after returning to the bivouac, what mattered most was simply making it to the end of another stage.

“Today was a tough day. The beginning was actually really good – we were riding in a group of about ten, keeping a good pace, and then at one point all of us got lost. Later, we all met again at the refuelling zone, laughed about the mistake until we were in tears, hugged each other and had a great time. But then they didn’t put enough fuel in my quad. For the rest of the day, I had to ride in economy mode, saving fuel and protecting the machine. It was very difficult to manage all of that, both mentally and physically,” Kanopkinas said, admitting that simply crossing the finish line brought the greatest sense of relief.

Despite having to conserve fuel and losing valuable time because of the navigation mistake, Kanopkinas was still the fastest quad rider on Stage 4. The CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team rider will therefore receive another World Rally-Raid Championship stage winner’s medal.

On Saturday, the competitors will face the shortest day of the rally. A 259-kilometre special stage awaits, with the total distance including liaisons reaching 357 kilometres.

At the end of it all, the Rallye du Maroc finish arch and the awards ceremony will be waiting.