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Join on Telegram Rabat – Moroccan motorcycle rider Amine Echiguer endured a setback when a mechanical failure abruptly ended his run in the Morocco Desert Challenge that started on April 20.
“Lack of resources caused me to pull out of the tournament,” Echiguer told Morocco World News (MWN).
“I was the mechanic and rider. Meanwhile, I was competing against teams supported by Yamaha – an international company,” he added.
The Morocco Desert Challenge, known as the second most significant rally raid in the world after Dakar, attracted over 1400 participants from 35 different countries this year.
Echiguer celebrating a win with his team
The sole Moroccan representative in the motorcycle category, Echiguer initially put on an impressive performance that earned him a place among the top contenders in the general classification.
However, the Moroccan rider was not able to continue the competition due to the lack of structural support in the event of a mechanical failure.
Echiguer was competing against renowned international stars like Pol Tarres, who represented the official Yamaha team in the same category as the Moroccan rider.
Despite his best efforts to maintain a consistently impressive presence among the top three contenders in the early stages of the contest, Echiguer’s aspirations to bring glory to Morocco were dashed when a mechanical breakdown abruptly halted his progress toward the podium.
Echiguer expressed his disappointment and pointed out the financial constraints that he has to face in comparison to the well-equipped professional teams from Europe, despite the support that he receives from his current sponsors.
He lamented the inadequacy of his resources, emphasizing that his modestly prepared motorcycle fell short of the standards required for competing at an elite level against seasoned, world-renowned professionals.
Read also: Amine Echiguer: Carta Rallye Champion Striving to Mainstream Mechanical Sports in Morocco
The Morocco Desert Challenge, spanning over 3000 kilometers from Agadir to Saidia over the course of a week, serves as a platform for elite riders to showcase their skills and endurance in one of the world’s most grueling rally raids.
In an earlier interview with MWN in March, Echiguer complained that despite being Morocco’s sole representative in a number of international tournaments, he was never offered the necessary institutional support.
The athlete explained that the nationwide unpopularity of mechanical sports has made it difficult for him and other aspiring Moroccan riders to unlock much-need sponsorship deals from Morocco’s sports authorities.
“The Ministry of Sport, when I send to them my sponsoring request and everything they answer that they have no plans for this kind of sport,” he explained.
Even without this much-needed support, Echiguer has distinguished himself on the international stage. In 2022, he became the first Moroccan to win the Afriquia Enduro Cup category during his participation in the Rally of Morocco.
An injury took him out of the sports scene for a few months, but he came back strong in 2024 to win the eighth annual Carta Rally held in Morocco on March 3-9.
Echiguer reflected on that impressive win, which saw him finish, four hours ahead of his closest contender. The Moroccan rider stressed that the victory was even more historic and fulfilling for him as he entered the competition with a small team of six crew members, racing against multi-million international teams.
