Aged 21 and unemployed, Abdelaziz BAGHASSA may have found his way, the sport of endurance, to which he now devotes most of his time. For this, he found the ideal mentor: Mohamad AHANSAL. It was the latter, in fact, who spotted it in a race of 285 km in six stages which took place in Azilal, the native region of Baghazza. Impressed by the young athlete, the five-time winner of the MARATHON DES SABLES (MDS) advised him to sign up for the desert raid to rub shoulders with the "extraterrestrials". "You have the potential to participate and make a good face," Ahansal said. And it was well seen! Baghazza is participating this year in his first MDS, and since the beginning of this 32nd edition he has proved to be a ruthless competitor to the point of raising a certain mistrust from the regulars of the podium. A mistrust all the more justified as the subject no longer made any mystery of his ambitions: "My goal is to be among the top three in the final standings," he asserts shortly before the start of the emblematic stage of the Marathon Des Sables, in this case the fourth. To achieve this goal will not be a sinecure in view of the fierce battle that will have to surrender to his compatriots Abdelkader El Mouaziz and Mohamed El Morabity, who at the end of the first three stages occupy respectively 2nd and 3rd place In the overall standings behind the untouchable Rachid El Morabity.
The other challenge facing Baghazza is racing management, which is a fundamental aspect of an event such as the MARATHON DES SABLES. Fortunately, he is aware of it: "Because of my inexperience, I pulled too much on the rope during the second stage and it almost had to be prejudicial to me. I will have to pay attention to this parameter. "
Will he achieve his ambition? We will know the answer at the end of the race. But, in view of what he has achieved so far, his mentor can already reassure himself: he bet on the right horse!
