70% new !
Heading south along big, fast roads,
but still rocky with beautiful oasis as far as the village of Hawza (km 374),
where we pick up the `95 route into Smara on a fast, rocky track.
Finish in Smara, which is a developing town : once a holy city,
and no doubt in the future to be the centre of the Sahara's tourist trade.
The day's difficulty : avoiding punctures.
TODAY
At 13:34 the race information center was informed by the Medical Tango 8
that at the 157th kilometre of the 5th stage special:
Foum El Hassan/ Smara, the Mercedes Truck 413 piloted by Laurent GUEGUEN,
co-piloted by P.LOUDENOT and V.BAUDIN have had an accident.
The accident took place at 300 to 400 metres to the left of the principal road.
Taking in consideration the gravity of the accident the information center
was not informed of the final assesment of the accident before P.LOUDENOT
and V.BAUDIN were brought to the Tango 8. Laurent
GUEGEN died, the two co-pilots are in satisfactory condition.
Bruno SABY and its Mitsubishi flipped 4 times. Saby an his copilote were not wounded.
Motorcycle : Peterhansel won today's stage. Thierry Rannou who fell 20 km before the end suffers severe head injuries.
