38TH MARATHON DES SABLES LEGENDARY - 200 KM MILESTONE PASSED

Fairly flat, but sandy and above all very hot, the marathon stage of the 38th MARATHON DES SABLES LEGENDARY delighted and tested the 789 participants at the start. The 200 km mark was passed, with over 93% of the starters still in the race.

With 43.1 km and almost 50% of it covered by sand, the marathon stage of the 38th MARATHON DES SABLES LEGENDARY was scary this morning before the double start (peloton at 6.30 am, first 150 in the scratch classification at 8.00 am). As with the long stage, this staggered start for the top runners provided an opportunity for some memorable exchanges, and Rajaa HAMDAOUA (D576-FRA) was not to be denied: "I helped a young woman during the stage, we met up again at the camp, she thanked me, and immediately tears came to her eyes. Emotions are strong. You get a bit high. It's great.

IN THE SHOES OF A CHAMPION

Another advantage of this double start is that it allows riders who are certainly of a good level, but who are not part of the elite, to lead the race for a few kilometres. Starting at 6.30am, Eliott SAGEAT (D233-FRA) was ranked 249th at the end of the long stage. He was therefore part of the first wave, and took advantage of this opportunity to try and "play" at the front of the race: "When you're first and you open the way in the desert, it's crazy. It's incredible. It titillates your ego, and what's more on the CPs everyone plays the game to the hilt, cheering you on as if you were a champion. It makes you want to come back.

THE 200 KM FEAT

The 200 km mark was passed today, with 200.3 km to be exact: a huge milestone that delights amateurs who have never covered such a distance in such a short time, let alone in the desert: it's a real feat for the vast majority of the peloton!

And that's without taking into account the day's temperature, the hottest of the week, with over 38°C recorded in the shade at midday. This extreme temperature meant that every participant had to be extremely careful if they were to reach the end of this stage. "It was really tough from the Water Station onwards, but I'm here at the finish line. That's what it's all about: finishing the MARATHON DES SABLES" - Axel ROMERO (D544-FRA).

And yet, despite the distance, the fatigue and the heat, once again on this stage there were an extremely low number of withdrawals - 5 at around 6.00 p.m., giving a total of 58 since the start of the adventure.

Tomorrow's 31.4km stage has a less difficult profile than today's. Another piece of good news is that temperatures are expected to drop.