Maria Luís Gameiro can't stay away from the desert and competition for long after the Dakar, and before heading back to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Jameel Rally, the driver is heading to Morocco for the Morocco Desert Challenge, to be held from April 3 to 12.
Once again, the task facing Maria Luís Gameiro will not be easy, and this debut in the event is seen as her first training session of the season, after a break that has lasted since January. For the 2025 edition, the organizers will increase the level of difficulty by putting on the longest and most challenging edition to date. Consolidated as the biggest rally-raid on the African continent, the event brings together more than 1,000 participants including drivers, navigators and technical teams, as well as an organizational structure of 200 professionals.
Maria Luís is thus back in the desert and is therefore excited about this adventure. At the same time, this is also a return to the controls of the Mini T1+ and a new chapter of learning, since she has never competed in the desert with this unit and will be going head-to-head with some of the best names in off-road racing.
“I already miss the desert and the challenges it presents. It's becoming a habit to enter competitions whose level of difficulty is increasing. It was like that in the Dakar and it's happening again now in the Morocco Desert Challenge. There will be eight very challenging stages, especially stage four, which is over 500 km long. Unfortunately, due to a surgical operation that made it impossible for me to go to the gym, my physical preparation for this race was nil, but above all I'm very happy... It's great to be back in competition and at the controls of the Mini. It's going to be more than 3,000 km through fantastic but very demanding scenery. I can't wait to get started!”
Created in 2008 as the Oil Libya Desert Challenge, the event had its first editions in Libya, but due to political instability, it moved to Morocco in 2013, where it settled permanently, allowing it to grow. The 2025 edition will mark a new level for the Morocco Desert Challenge. The route will cover 3,150 km over 8 stages, crossing the country from the Atlantic (Agadir) to the Mediterranean (Saïdia). With 85% of the route being against the clock, this will be the longest version of the rally ever staged.
The route for 2025
Since 2017, when it adopted the name Morocco Desert Challenge and eliminated connections between stages (“Zero KM Liaison” concept), the event has attracted a growing number of participants from all over the world. This year the challenge will be even greater.
The competition starts in Agadir on April 3 and 4, with technical checks. On the 5th, the prologue between Agadir and Plage Blanche (SS1 - 83 km) will serve as a warm-up, passing through light dunes and open terrain by the ocean.
On the 6th, the second stage (Plage Blanche - La'âyoune, SS2 - 354 km) features a varied route, including gorges and fast tracks that will require precise navigation. Stage 3, on the 7th (La'âyoune - Boujdour, SS3 - 264 km), will test the competitors with technical dunes right from the start, followed by rocky terrain and high-speed sections.
The big challenge comes in the middle of the race (Boujdour - Smara, SS4 - 526 km). The fourth stage will be the longest, with a fast route, challenging navigation and passages through areas of soft sand. On the 9th, the fifth stage (Smara - Assa, SS5 - 375 km) will feature mixed terrain, including fesh-fesh, gravel tracks and desert valleys.
The following day, the sixth stage, (Assa - Foum Zguid, SS6 - 312 km), will feature rocky and technical terrain, but will offer riders a thrilling crossing of gentle dunes before the finish. On the 11th, already on the final stretch (Foum Zguid - Foum Zguid, SS7 - 290 km) a real endurance challenge, with long stretches of dunes on the Erg Chegaga, fesh-fesh and fast tracks.
The grand finale takes place on April 12, with the eighth stage (Foum Zguid - Ouarzazate, SS8 - 149 km), where the competitors will cover technical and fast terrain before crossing the finish line in the iconic setting of the film “Kingdom of Heaven”, in Ouarzazate.
Automatic translation of the Portuguese version
Source: Team Motivo JCB
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