Fenix Rally 2022: Leg 5 - Rest from the sand

The route to Ksar Ghilane offered fast tracks and ranking status quo Leg 5 of Fenix Rally 2022 moved the competition to the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, in the Grand South of Tunisia. From Douz, there were planned two special stages, for a total of 262 km, but the situation with the heavy winds in the area changed the menu. So, the competitors drove only the second SS, with start and finish near the oasis. Dirt roads were mainly the playing field, with fast tracks along Parc Jebil toKsar Ghilane and after that the tricky and narrow gravel tracks in the east part of the “pipe line”, as well as the awesome Canyon in the region of Bir Amir.
Starting with the cars, it was really crazy situation after the finish in the Open class. Rick Van DenBrink (#224, Mitsubishi ASX) was the man who took the stage win, but it was his Dutch compatriot Rients Hofstra (Nissan Navara Proto, #218), who regain the leadership in the overall. And it was a matter of seconds!
Hofstra beat Urvo Mannama (#221, Century CR6) with some one minute at the stage and now the two pretenders for the win lay in the main rankings with the unbelievable distance of only 3 seconds between them. So, we can expect that both the Estonian and the Dutch will push to the maximum in the final 2 stages.
And if the two main contenders have a huge advance over the other competitors, it will be a serious battle for the 3rd place in Fenix Cars Open Class. Joel Purga (#237, Mulkland Mos1), is still keeping the “bronze” in the general standings, but Rick Van Den Brink is only 4 minutes behind him. And the things can change before the final day.
It’s totally different situation in the Cars Limited class, where Daniel Vetter (#211, Toyota Land Cruiser) from Switzerland has over 9 hours advance to his closest rival – the German Claus Walden (#220, Toyota Land Cruiser).

Mickael Jacobi (#30, Gas Gas) was the fastest rider in the bike class for the day. The Frenchman finished near 4 minutes in front of Bartolomiej Tabin (#50, KTM), and 6 in front of Justas Grendelis (#20, KTM). The daily win helped Jacobi to climb on the second position in the overall, where still leader is the South African rider Mathew Grid (#7, KTM). The difference between them is 16:22 minutes, and the 3rd placed biker – Grendelis, has a little more than 19 minutes difference from the leader.
In the ATV class, Adomas Gancierus (#2) from Lithuania made it with the best time on the finish. The pilot of CFMOTO Racing team beat his countryman and teammate Antanas Kanopkinas (#33) with tiny 16 seconds, but this not changed the general rankings, where Kanopkinas is leading with near 2 minutes to Gancierus. Third place on the stage, as well as in the overall is for Nicolas Martinez (#16) from France with Yamaha.
Benoit Lepietre (#414, Can Am) continues to secure his leadership in the SSV rankings with a stage victory in the 5th day of Fenix Rally 2022. The Frenchman made 1:46 min. advance to Tomas Mickus (Can-Am, #420) and some more 15 seconds to the third for the day – Nerijus Murauskas (#420, Can-Am). Now Benoit lays 11 minutes ahead of the new second-placed in the overall – the Lithuanian Mickus. Top 3 in the general is for Macej Stolarski from Poland (#437, Can Am), who finished 6th for the day.
Aad Van Velsen (Scania, #507) claimed his second consecutive stage win in the truck class. However, the Dutchman is far away behind his compatriot William Van Groningen (Iveco, #505), who is leading the competition with 4 and a half hours advance to Van Velsen. Third in the ranking is still Klaas Steinhoefel (#503) from Germany with MAN KAT.
The penultimate day 6 of Fenix Rally 2022 will bring the route back in the dunes, with a single selective stage, offering some 140 km against the clock in the menu.

Source Fenix Rally