A LOOK BACK ON THE 25th RALLY MAROC CLASSIC
10-16 MARCH 2018
TANGER – FES – IFRANE – MERZOUGA – BIN EL OUIDANE – MARRAKECH

Cyril NEVEU and his team strove to preserve the fundamentals of the event by bringing novelty with a departure from TANGER and a completely renewed itinerary. Thirty crews from Europe, Australia and Morocco came together in TANGIER to compete the 6 stages, 2100km, and the 20 regularity stages of this 25th Morocco Classic Rally.

Choosing TANGER as the starting point for this 25th anniversary also meant opening up to new spaces in the northern regions of the Kingdom, rarely frequented by the rally, with sinuous, narrow roads that blended perfectly into the high cliffs on the Mediterranean sea towards Ceuta. and Tetouan, before joining the foothills of the Rif and Chefchaouen the blue city and then plunge into the history of Fes, the city’s pre-eminence.

The climate was not always at the rendezvous of the first stages, but nothing prevented the participants from having fun on roads made slippery and tricky by the weather before the sun’s rays dried them out, irretrievably. The rally, sometimes considered Monte-Carlo and Acropolis-like, as the weather conditions were in themselves a major challenge for the participants and the team of Cyril Neveu Promotion.

However, the Arlaud couple remained in ambush at the wheel of their Citroën DS, totally adapted to the terrain but sometimes lacking power, and the 2017 winners, Carlos Ghistelinck and Lieven David, on their very large Mercedes 280 SE but very effective on the Moroccan roads… In the “Prestige” category, the Dodge Viper of the « father & son » Ouvier was also authors of unmistakable performances in front of the two Mercedes AMG coupes launched in their pursuit. Après avoir visité le Nord du Royaume et ses très riches régions agricoles et forestières, le Rallye Maroc Classic a ensuite pris la route des grands espaces, plus au Sud, dans une diagonale improbable entre les montagnes de l’Atlas et les premières dunes de sables de Sahara à Merzouga. Un diner au coeur des dunes été d’ailleurs organisé pour une soirée féérique les yeux dirigés vers le ciel nocturne et les étoiles, innombrables.

The results of the first stages were confirmed on arrival at the BIN EL OUIDANE lake, which appeared in the mountains. All the majesty of its colors were in the spotlight at the start of the last stage of this 25th Rally Morocco Classic whose official arrival was organized in LA MAMOUNIA, at Marrakech.

Rendez-vous is given for 2019 and the 26th edition of Morocco Classic where the course promises to be renewed and will propose new challenges.

Classement général final/ Final General Ranking
Podium Classic Category
1- R. MEZIANE / Z. CHEMAO (Porsche Targa)
2- JM. ARLAUD / MF. ARLAUD (Citroën DS 21)
3- C. GHISTELINCK – L. DAVID (MERCEDEZ 280 SE)
1- R. MEZIANE / Z. CHEMAO (Porsche Targa)
2- JM. ARLAUD / MF. ARLAUD (Citroën DS 21)
3- C. GHISTELINCK – L. DAVID (MERCEDEZ 280 SE)
Podium Prestige Category
1- B. OUVIER / J. OUVIER (Dodge Viper)
2- P. LUCCHITTI / A. FORTE (MERCEDES AMG Coupé)
3- M. COVAREL / C. MORARD (Mercedes SL55 AMG)
1- B. OUVIER / J. OUVIER (Dodge Viper)
2- P. LUCCHITTI / A. FORTE (MERCEDES AMG Coupé)
3- M. COVAREL / C. MORARD (Mercedes SL55 AMG)