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TreasuryOne lads 6th at Morocco midpoint

South African crew Hennie de Klerk and Johann Smalberger continued to impress at the Morocco Desert Challenge as they brought their TreasuryOne Motorsport Amarok home in a provisional seventh place on Tuesday’s fourth stage to reach the Foum Zgiud halfway point in sixth position overall. Pretoria businessman and 2018 Dakar rookie winner de Klerk once again set out to keep out of trouble and sustain a sensible pace and it is paying off.

“We had a very good today and made up a bit of the time lost yesterday,” de Klerk confirmed. “The TreasuryOne Amarok had a fantastic day today after being a bit off the pace. “This was the tough stage but the car performed faultlessly, no punctures in the rough stuff and we clawed back some of yesterday’s lost time. “I have to tell you that we are more than satisfied to be sitting sixth overall at the halfway point!

“Race leader Erik van Loon has built up a handy lead, but there are just 30 minutes covering the test of the top six and we have almost 50 minutes in hand over Emirates crew Thomas Bell and Patrick Bell in the Red-Lined Nissan behind us, who we know well from the SA cross country series. 

“The plan is to continue exactly as we have done over the first half — hopefully tomorrow I am fully over my tummy bug and we can push at our normal pace, but we have one target and that’s the finish at Saïda on Saturday. “Huge thanks to my whole TreasuryOne team out here in the Sahara and to all our fans back home — your support makes it all so much more worth the while!”

Wednesday’s 308km fifth stage from Foum Zgiud to Zagora goes down exclusively in the real Sahara Desert. “This is what we prepared most for,” navigator Johann Smalberger admitted. “Tomorrow is sand, sand and more sand and we spent plenty time in the Namib practicing for similar conditions in the Sahara. “The route takes in dune fields from Lac Iriki to Erg Chebbi and on to a brand new section across the sands of Erg south of Mhamid, os it’s desitination Zagora!"

ENDS

Issued on behalf of TreasuryONE Motorsport

What:Morocco Desert Challenge Day 4 Report
Where:Foum Zguid, Morocco
When:Tuesday 16 April 2019
Community:International

For further information please contact hennie@treasuryone.co.za

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