Radislav is currently on the toughest part of the route with only 40km left to Merzouga. He carried 8 liters of water, 6 cans of sardines, and bread for a 160km stretch with no services. He enjoys a remote and deserted part of the route and he is sure to continue on the piste till Sidi Ifni.
Mex has 150km to the finish line in Sidi Ifni. Soufiane and Maze are heading toward the very last checkpoint on the road route.
Sandro is now in Foum Zguid and will ride the piste to Tata.
It’s day 8 for the road route riders. Ernst and Johan made a tough decision to scratch from MBA 2022, yesterday afternoon. Ernst struggled with stomach issues for a few days and unfortunately continuing the route wasn’t an option “It has been an incredible experience with highs and lows but definitely a big adventure” Great ride! Great team! Get well!
Yesterday Sandro made it across the toughest section of the route the stretch between Boudenib and Merzouga. He will now continue on the road route to the finish in Sidi Ifni.
Mex is only 480km from the finish line by the Atlantic Ocean followed by Sofiane. Maze will reach CP5 in Zagora soon.
It’s day 9 for Radislav. He is the only rider on the piste route now. Radislav is moving toward Boudenib.
Ernst and Johan rode into Merzouga today’s morning. They are catching up with their scheduled plan fast and should reach the CP4 soon.
Maze changed his tactics and now making huge progress. He is only 60km behind Sofiane. Sandro has to make another 50km to the end of the 160km stretch with no services, no water, and no mobile network. We are expecting him to be in Merzouga today afternoon.
Radislav took his time at the checkpoint at Aouli mines. Had tea and a good time with the miners.
Riders on the piste route are on their day 7. After traversing the Rif and Middle Atlas mountains, now they are heading to the Sahara desert. In this particular part of the route, riders are going to get to know the people in rural Morocco, people who rarely see any tourists, Where it’s hard to find any accommodation. Where people get the water at a fountain outside their houses. Public water fountain is a common place to meet others and have a talk whilst filling up canisters with water. Locals still ride donkeys to get from one place to another and they use real fire to cook their meals, which may take a bit of time but it’s authentic.
Wednesday, it’s day 5, and thunderstorms made the route much more demanding. Riders had to hide from lightning and earth slides which made the route unpassable high up in the Middle Atlas. The temperature has dropped to 9 degrees Celcius. Riders experienced how important it is to be properly equipped for any kind of weather and carry enough food supplies. At Tamatroucht, Sandro and Till together with the media car found an auberge where they could dry their clothes and recharge.
From Tamatroucht to Imouzzer Marmoucha several landslides made the route unpassable and the media car got stuck in a mix of stones and mud. Up to Tizi Bouzabel, which is 2267m above sea level, about 12 earth slides destroyed the road. However, no problem for the riders and they made it to the beginning of the Ahouli mine parkour.
Sandro, on top of all the challenges, has to deal with his stomach issues since day 2 and that slows him down. Radislav from Czech, who is 68 and is the oldest rider, is constantly moving forward and enjoying the route.
In the meantime, we are heading to meet the road riders. Yesterday, we met Soufiane “I am stopping frequently to take photos as the route is amazing! After every storm that passes there comes a rainbow after”.
The adventure is in full swing! And the weather is perfect!
Roadies departed from Tangier yesterday morning and now both groups – roadies and piste route riders are spread across 200km along the route.
Soufiane was the first one to reach CP1 and is now leading the rest of the roadies.Sandro had some early mechanical issues almost instantly after the start, despite that he reached the CP1 in Chefchaouen as the first rider and he is untouchable since then.
Till is in 2nd position and only 50km behind Sandro. He is keeping strong even though still feeling unwell after overheating on day one.
The pair riders Ernst and Johan are now on a 246km and will camp by the lake. Good idea!
Today at 9 am the piste route riders started a 2300km adventure from Tangier which will go through the Rif and Atlas mountains and all the way to the Sahara desert. They will finish in Sidi Ifni at the Atlantic Ocean.
Good luck and stay safe!
Mex started 24 hours before his road route scheduled departure time together with piste route riders. However, he made an agreement with all the riders.
Grand Depart for the road route is tomorrow at 9 am sharp.
Two Continents Bike Adventure will kick off in just three weeks.
Stage one will follow the Iberica Traversa route: 1720km across the Iberian Peninsula mostly unpaved routes and trails.
Stage two will start in Tangier following the Morocco-BikeAdventure route to Sidi Ifni. 2300km through the Riff Mountains and over the Middle Atlas to the Sahara desert.
A total of 4000km and 60,000 meters of climbing makes it probably the most challenging adventure one can do!
“It’s a great adventure for anyone and also a serious test for any competitive racer who can hold it together physically and mentally. The route combines a diverse range of incredible scenery and surfaces including shifting desert sands, rough piste, and gravel. Strategy, logistics, planning, adaptability, and resilience will be needed as riders will be seriously isolated with few and meager options for resupply in rural Morocco where on occasions you may only find a few packets of wafer biscuits and tins of tuna. The route is simply breathtaking” – Donncha Cuttriss
MoroccoBike Adventure 2022 dates:
Piste route: October 8th
Road route: October 9th
Irena Sosinska winner of MBA 2021. Photo: Andy Buchs
In the hotel Suerte Loca, built 1936, riders spend time playing billard, table football, listening live music and resting and eating a lot of good food.
October 2021, Askan von Schirnding, 1st finisher road route
