10.01.2023 9th Stage : Riyad > Haradh

Heading to Haradh, at the entrance of the Empty Quarter, the largest sandy area in the world!

The departure was done in very good conditions, Fred & Mag are starting to be as well organized as possible.

The exit of Riyadh was a real purge: traffic jams! As a consequence, the organization had to postpone the time of the special stage.

All day, they will see little sun, but the rain seems to have abandoned them. It remains fresh, especially as soon as the night falls.

The stage was quite rocky but not too much either, just enough to spice up the race. The average speeds were even revised by the organizers in order to spare the vehicles and avoid too much breakage.

A very big regularity was waiting for them at the end. 92 kms in 1h30 with a lot of slipping! Magnificent and closing the special in a very nice way.

What was very complicated for our crew: the liaison to reach the bivouac. Not the longest since the beginning of the rally, but the most monotonous and endless. They also had to wait 20 minutes before being able to refuel once they arrived at the bivouac, and finally be able to breathe.

A nap, a visit to the physio for Fred who had some back pain, a shower (fresh!) and it’s time for the evening activities: Magali at the briefing for the next day’s stage and Fred on the Buggy’s mechanics. The usual check and verification of some screws that were loose.

The Buggy attracts more and more curious people on the Bivouac. As if some people were surprised that it was still there, especially since Fred and Mag had no assistance!

Tomorrow is the marathon stage, the old fashioned way!