Hatton still going strong in Morocco

From Destination Dakar

Don Hatton is still going strong after stage four of the 2009 Morocco Rally.

“Don had a good ride today,” his wife Natalie Hatton, commented on Wednesday.

The race has been gruelling. Stage 4 was treacherous enough for the organizers to issue a warning to the racers regarding unmarked holes in the course.

Attrition among the competitors is rising. Hatton’s team-mate and fellow Canadian rider Rick Hatswell is out of the race with a broken leg suffered during stage 3 of the rally. Another of his team-mates, David Dickinson is reported injured in stage 4 with a broken sternum.

Stage 3’s extremely high heat along with the extensive racing in sand dunes caused Hatton to have heat stroke. Although it did not require medical attention it caused a delay as the Duncan, BC rider sought relief from the heat by using his KTM 690 for shade from the hot Moroccan sun.