Mathieu Blanchard, 3rd in the Marathon des Sables: “There will be a before and after the MDS 2023”

“What did you think of the conditions of this 37th Marathon of the Sands ?
I had run the 2021 edition, a very tough, very hot edition, as it was postponed to October because of the pandemic. My companion, Alix Noblat, had finished that of 2022 after having failed in 2021 because of a virus contracted on the bivouac. She had found it accessible in “normal” conditions, meaning with temperatures around 30°C in the shade. I wanted to live this experience, that of the usual conditions of the MDS, with Team Terre d’Av which I was offered to join. This week, the fault of an early heat wave, we measured temperatures over 40°C in the shade every day and our watches, which we put down one afternoon in the sun, recorded values ​​above 55°C! It was really hard again, not what I had imagined.

If you had anticipated these conditions, would you still have come?
The steps were really daunting. Honestly, if I could have anticipated that the temperatures would be so high, I wouldn’t have come. I like sports in extreme conditions as long as the practice takes place in healthy circumstances. I didn’t have that feeling here in 2021 and I said to myself, never again. Well, I didn’t have that feeling this year either: I urinated blood for two days because I was so dehydrated. My kidneys take a hit and I don’t like that. So the MDS, yes, but under the conditions of the end of March, not the end of April.

“I have the humility to say that even by respecting the rules, Rachid El Morabity would still win”

What was the sporting scenario of this race for you?
It’s the same scenario that unfolded in 2021, namely trying not to take more than 5-10 minutes on the first Moroccans in the first three stages (between 32 km and 36 km each, editor’s note) in order to try to play my card on the long stage, the 4th, of 90 km this year. But unlike 2021, where the best set off reasonably flat at 12 km/h, this year Rachid El Morabity, followed by his brother Mohamed and Aziz Yachou, set off at 15 km/h on a sandy slope! I didn’t follow them, I spent the day alone and it was really hard. They widened the gap, I failed, that’s sport.

The morning before the start of this 4th stage, Rachid El Morabity received a penalty for “external ***istance”. What do you think ?
Indeed, we learned that same day that some runners were not doing the same Marathon des Sables as us, it’s a bit annoying. Despite this, I have the humility to say that even respecting the rules, Rachid El Morabity would still win. It’s just frustrating to see this kind of behavior.

“A podium on the MDS is a great source of pride”

How was the last very fast stage, the marathon, of this MDS 2023?
I tried everything on this last marathon stage! With my preparation for the Paris marathon and trying to take advantage of my ultra-trailer recovery capacity, I set the pace on the first rolling part of the stage, with Aziz Yachou and Mohamed El Morabity in my stride. Listening to their breathing, I was no less at ease than them. Unfortunately we got lost in the dunes at mile 32. That, added to my inability to run well on the sand as they do, got the better of my ambitions.

How do you explain your difficulties on the sand?
It’s a question of technique and, on this point, it’s not a 15-day course that is needed to match their ease. They were born and still live in this desert, in Zagora, a few dozen kilometers from the race. Then there is also the weight that plays a lot: Moroccans are between 55 and 60 kg when I weigh between 65 and 70 kg. It makes a huge difference to being comfortable on the sand.

What does this podium represent for you?
A podium on the MDS is a great source of pride. The last Frenchman who did it was Mérile Robert in 2021. But before that, more than ten years p***ed before we saw a Frenchman on the podium. I think there will be a before and an after MDS 2023. The story of Rachid El Morabity can make runners talk and push some not necessarily to come back. And, who knows, maybe this will give way to very good European riders to regain podiums…”