The Rallye du Maroc officially got underway today with a 19-kilometre prologue around the city of Fez and it was Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Ricky Brabec who set the fastest time to open the rally in style.

The short stage proved to be far from straightforward, featuring steep climbs, ditches and a shallow river crossing that demanded precision and focus from all riders.Mistakes could easily cost valuable seconds, making concentration key throughout the winding, technical course.

Riding his Honda CRF450 RALLY, Ricky Brabec completed the prologue in 12 minutes and 48 seconds, starting his Moroccan campaign on a high note.Close behind was teammate Tosha Schareina, who despite struggling with some arm pump, finished just one second adrift of Brabec’s leading time.

Adrien Van Beveren, still recovering from injuries sustained at the Rally-Raid Portugal, posted the sixth-fastest time in the Rally GP class, 23 seconds behind Brabec.Meanwhile, Skyler Howes enjoyed the fast, open farm tracks to finish just behind Van Beveren, 35 seconds off the lead.

Later today, riders will select their starting positions for tomorrow’s demanding opening stage. With Brabec being the final rider to choose, his decision could play a strategic role in the days ahead.

Stage one will cover a total of 780 kilometres, including 300 kilometres of timed special, as competitors head east from Fez to Erfoud. The route will take riders into the heart of Morocco’s desert terrain, setting the stage for an intense week of racing and navigation challenges.

Ruben Faria - General Manager: We’ve wrapped up the prologue and the bikes are ready for stage one. It was a great start for us on a 19 km stage through the mountains, it was fast, slippery, with some tricky sections. Adrien is recovering well from his previous crash and managed a solid sixth place, so is feeling better each day. Tosha rode smoothly and finished second, just a second off the lead, while Ricky took the win with a confident and precise ride. Skyler also delivered a consistent performance getting back in a rhythm and feeling stronger on the bike. The team is calm and focused, ready to face the next five days in the Moroccan desert.

Ricky Brabec: First day in Morocco is good, got the win of the prologue so it’s really nice. Got good confidence for the bike with the team moving forward. We’re happy and I think we have a good spot for tomorrow to choose from, so let the racing begin.

Skyler Howes: The prologue was a bit different to what we expected. They were telling us very slippery tracks with lots of cliffs and it turned out to be really big, rolling farm fields which was actually really nice, so we got a bit more traction than I expected. I had a clean run, made some bike adjustments too, I rode a bit tight out there but I enjoyed the stage a lot. I’m happy to start and now looking forward to making our way out to the open desert tomorrow.

Adrien Van Beveren: It was a beautiful prologue to be honest. For once in Morocco it was nice terrain. I rode really safe, I cut the gas where I should have kept it at full gas, but I think it’s normal. It’s my first ride since my crash in Portugal, so I’m here to get back into the rhythm and get my confidence back. So, job done for today.

Tosha Schareina: For one part I’m happy for the team because we are first and second, so happy for that and for Honda. Not so smooth for me, I tried to push but I had arm pump at 5 km and I was having to fight with myself. It’s just the beginning, but the real battle starts tomorrow.