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Among the coloured ochre waves of the Great Sand Sea, wonderful theatre of the fifth stage of Total Pharaons 2008, the first motorcycles create a sort of “miniature train” until the finishing line, offering in this way the win to the young Polish Przygonski. Golden day for the 450 class: on the podium there are the TM of Luca Manca and the Aprilia of Alex Zanotti.

Among the cars, no problems for Christian Lavieille, winner for the fourth time preceding Sireyjol and Pelichet: same positions in general classification.

A boucle traced not far from the Libyan border, an infinite ocean of dunes and Siwa lake and the surrounding flat mountains as background. Total off-road navigation for 380 km, a stage maintaining the promises, revolutionizing a little daily hierarchies of the previous stages. Eight riders arriving together at the finishing line, with the win of the young Polish Jakub Przygonski and the podium completed by TM Luca Manca and Aprilia of Alex Zanotti. Starting behind his team mate Frans Verhoeven, David Casteu had the intention to try something. Initially, he has left navigate the Dutch, then he has taken the rein of the race after CP2 and after an impressive fall without any consequences of Verhoeven. He has tried “digressions” of the journey, choosing more difficult paths, but in vain.

This has slowed down him, and the leader duo has been reached by various riders, who for the remaining of the stage have run as a tidy “miniature train”, coming back to Siwa in a convoy.

Win for the young Polish promise Przygonski, and triumphant day for Italian motorcycles, TM and Aprilia, at the debut in Africa, both on the podium. Oscar Polli is fourth and precedes Matteo Graziani, while it surprises the sixth place of the aggressive Sweden Annie Seel. Paolo Ceci, with the other Aprilia, has preceded Casteu, Butuza and Sartori.

In the lead of general classification, there is still Casteu with an advantage of three minutes on Verhoeven and 27 on Graziani, but tomorrow among the departures of the two there will be three minutes and half. If the Dutch reaches Casteu, he could reach the leadership in general classification.

New day without any problems for Christian Lavieille and Jean Michel Polato among the cars: for them it's the success number four on five stages, obtained this time against the Bowler of Patrick Sireyjol/Paul Vidal and the other English car of Jerome Pelichet/Eugenie Decre. Fourth place for the prototype Toyota of the Egyptian Abouyoussef, with the navigation of the German driver Holzknecht.