Image: Supplied.

Scott Myers has defeated the desert in order to become the winner of the first ever KTM Ultimate Race after six days of racing in the Moroccan sands as part of the Merzouga Rally.

Entry to the KTM Ultimate Race was available to any rider who took part in one of the six KTM Adventure Rallies held during 2018 and at the start of this year.

The special qualification events tested the riders to show if they had the excellent machine control, navigational skill and competent mechanical ability required in order to line up on a rally-prepared KTM 790 Adventure for a special class held within the Merzouga Rally.

Only the top two riders from each event would be chosen and, further proving this was the opportunity of a lifetime for these KTM Adventure riders, they were supported like KTM Factory riders at the KTM Ultimate race.

Backed up by four mechanics and 14 members of KTM staff, in the lead up to the event and throughout, the competitors were also coached by some of the world’s finest and fastest off-road riders like Chris Birch, Marc Coma and Quinn Cody.

The race began on 31 March with a short prologue and finished on 5 April, with competitors having to cover five stages – including a marathon stage three with an overnight in a bivouac and no outside mechanical support. In total, almost 1100 kilometres of hard off-road riding and navigating would push them to their physical and mental limits.

Myers was consistently in the top places for all stages and took the early advantage with victory in the prologue. Radek Burkat from Canada retaliated for the stage one win and New Zealand’s Kevin Archer fought strongly to take stage two. But it was Myers, again, who took the honours in the gruelling marathon stage three and sealed the win with runner-up in stages four and five.

After an emotional conclusion to the race, not only does Myers have the honour of being the first ever KTM Ultimate Raxe victor, he will also get to keep his race-winning machine along with receiving an all-expenses paid package for two people to see the 2020 Dakar Rally. Australian qualifiers Steve Robertson and Robert Nowak finished the event in positions 10 and 12 respectively.