It’s been smooth sailing for Martim Ventura across the Moroccan dunes as of late, and Friday was no exception as he claimed his third consecutive stage win at the Carta Rallye.
As he did on Thursday, Ventura beat Benjamin Melot and Alessandro Botturi for the Stage 5 victory. His time of 3:05:58 was nearly 11 minutes faster than Melot and 14 minutes on Botturi.
“It went well. I opened the track all day, I didn’t get caught,” said Ventura. “I think gained a lot of time, so I believe I managed to keep a good pace now towards the end. There was a bit of hesitation in my rhythm and I think I could’ve been a little more aggressive there, but it was a good workout too.
“It’s been five days, there are still two to go, it’s a long, hard race.”
His lead over Melot in the overall also grows from 12:27 to 23:11. Gautier Paulin finished behind Botturi but remains atop the Over 450cc class by 53 minutes.
Kevin Gallas drops from fourth overall to sixth after he got lost near the finish, relegating him to 19th for the day.
“Now I learned that if you’re lost, don’t think that you’ll find the way,” Gallas remarked.
The top spot in SSV Open changed hands yet again as Hugues Lacam won the stage for the class, clearing third-placed Jérôme Pelichet by 14 minutes. Pelichet had taken the lead in Stage 4, but now trails by 11:09.
Stage 5 winners
Moto
| Class | Overall | Number | Competitor | Team | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 450cc | 1 | 84 | Martim Ventura | Old Friends Rally Team | 3:05:58 |
| Over 450cc | 3 | 3 | Alessandro Botturi | Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team | 3:19:44 |
| Quad | 22 | 45 | Alexis Varagne | Dragon Racing | 4:48:26 |
Auto
| Class | Overall | Number | Competitor | Team | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate | 1 | 101 | Simon Vitse | Team Vitse | 2:49:47 |
| 2WD | 3 | 102 | Jérôme Cambier | Team Vitse | 3:09:31 |
| 4×4 | 34 | 230 | Mantas Bernickis | BRO Racing | 4:59:28 |
| SSV Open | 2 | 201 | Hugues Lacam | Speed Up | 3:08:39 |
| SSV Series | 7 | 210 | David Casteu | Casteu Trophy | 3:22:14 |
Leaders after Stage 5
Moto
| Class | Overall | Number | Competitor | Team | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 450cc | 1 | 84 | Martim Ventura | Old Friends Rally Team | 14:54:39 |
| Over 450cc | 3 | 21 | Gautier Paulin | Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team | 16:02:32 |
| Quad | 31 | 45 | Alexis Varagne | Dragon Racing | 33:58:08 |
Auto
| Class | Overall | Number | Competitor | Team | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate | 1 | 101 | Simon Vitse | Team Vitse | 14:25:47 |
| 2WD | 19 | 105 | Nicolas Delencre | Config Racing | 22:33:49 |
| 4×4 | 25 | 108 | Laurent Ducreux | Team Ducreux | 25:11:14 |
| SSV Open | 2 | 201 | Hugues Lacam | Speed Up | 16:54:30 |
| SSV Series | 6 | 210 | David Casteu | Casteu Trophy | 17:35:56 |
Featured image credit: Martim Ventura


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