Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge claimed their second consecutive Stock class stage victory at Rallye du Maroc on Thursday, as Stage 3 was brought to an early end following the mobilisation of security and medical teams after a number of incidents on the route.
The #500 Defender Dakar D7X-R crew completed the 590km overall stage in 4:08:55, continuing their strong run after also taking victory on Stage 2.
Peterhansel described it as his first completely clean day of the rally, despite the demanding terrain and challenging navigation.
“Today it was a really good day for us. It’s possibly our first completely clean day since the beginning of the race, so now we can have a little bit of rest tonight.”
The Frenchman said the crew encountered particularly soft dunes twice during the stage before finding more speed through an open valley towards the end.
“I had a really good feeling with the car, we took a lot of pleasure driving. Also, navigation was not easy at the beginning, and Mika did a really good job.”
Stage halted after incidents
The complexion of Stage 3 changed during its second half when organisers neutralised the rally and stopped competitors at their respective next checkpoints.
Race organisers ended the stage early as security and medical resources were mobilised to ensure competitor safety. Because crews were stopped at different points, final Stage 3 timings and classifications had not been confirmed at the time of the team’s statement.
Before the stoppage, Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal were running second in the #502 Defender, ahead of Yasir Seaidan and Jean-Michel Polato’s Toyota in third. Sara Price and Sean Berriman were fourth in the #504 Defender.
Baciuška, who returned to competition following his Stage 2 retirement, said:
“We didn’t complete the stage but that’s because it was cancelled as there were a lot of accidents. So, we finished the stage early and returned to the bivouac as instructed.”
Difficult day for Price
Price, who entered the day leading the Stock class overall standings, endured a more difficult Stage 3 after experiencing an issue with her Defender.
“Today was going great until it wasn’t. We didn’t want to come out of the lead of this rally as we thought this might be the one for us to get our first win.”
Price said her crew would investigate the issue overnight before returning for Stage 4.
“So, for now, we keep our heads up and look forward to Stage 4 tomorrow.”
Defender backs decision to stop stage
Defender Rally Team Principal Ian James backed the organisers’ decision to neutralise the stage, stressing that competitor and crew safety had to take priority.
“The decision by the race organisers to neutralise the rally after a number of incidents on stage was one that we wholly support. At the end of the day, the safety of the competitors and the crews takes top priority.”
James also praised Peterhansel and Metge for another strong performance as Defender prepares for the penultimate day of its 2026 W2RC campaign.
Stage 4 takes place on Friday, October 2, covering 513km in total with a 381km special stage. The route is expected to head deep into the remote desert surrounding Zagora, featuring extensive rocky terrain and technical sandy sections.
