Price and Sainz rock the particular Dakar
Focus
The hectic speed of the first real special from the Dakar took a heavier cost on the competitors than its size. The hodgepodge of tracks within the first part of the course required the laser-like focus and got the very best of riders such as Ricky Brabec . Following on the menu were tracks full of rocks waiting to do a number at the tyres of any competitor that strayed from the right path, since Sébastien Loeb can attest subsequent his bitter experience in the southern of the country. Before reaching Bisha , the rivals who emerged unscathed from these earlier hazards caught a breather at the first sandy section of the competition, which was much easier on their tyres… and their nerves.
Outlines
The first stage was a combined bag for the defending champions. Ough Brabec shipped 18 minutes in order to Toby Price after totally dropping his bearings in the opening kms, while his predecessor as the champion of the race claimed his 13th career Dakar stage win. At the same time, Carlos Sainz nabbed victory within the car category, which saw outsiders Martin Prokop and Mathieu Serradori finish third and fourth, correspondingly. Cristina Gutiérrez and her T3 took the spoils in the light-weight vehicle category, signing one of those oh-so-rare female victories in the rally (see Performance of the day). In the pickup truck category, 2020 champion lost more than an hour and a half due to a mechanical, yet this did not stop Kamaz through taking the reins of the general category with one of his heirs, Dmitry Sotnikov. Finally, quad rider Alexandre Giroud was the only winner from the prologue who extended his successful streak today.
Performance of the day
It seemed impossible. The fortnight ago, Cristina Gutiérrez got given up all hope of beginning her third Dakar. However , simply two weeks after RedBull Off Road Group USA called her up and set her behind the wheel of an OT3 lighting prototype, today she took the particular opening stage in the lightweight automobile category. Most importantly, by beating previous champion Reinaldo Varela, she has end up being the first female stage winner given that German Jutta Kleinschmidt took the girl last triumph in 2005.
Crushing blow
Sébastien Loeb was probably wishing for more in his Dakar comeback. The person from Alsace started the first phase in a good position at the steering wheel of his BRX after completing the prologue in tenth location. However , luck was not on his aspect in the opening stage. A series of 3 punctures ruined his pace, whilst a couple of navigational errors pushed your pet further down the classification. It was the calamitous stage for the French nine-time WRC champion, who is now nearly 24 minutes adrift of chief Carlos Sainz in the general category and has no choice but to take the attack in the coming times
Stat’ of the day
Bikers of the world, bring together! No fewer than eight countries had been represented in the leading group of the very first stage, including an American, an Argentinian, an Australian, an Austrian, the Brit, a Czech, a Frenchman and a Spaniard. Bikers from Botswana, Chile, Poland and Slovakia furthermore cracked the top 20. All in all, twenty-eight different nationalities featured on the begin list of the Dakar motorbike competition this year.
Classic freeze-frame
Two Sunhill buggies from the eighties are taking part in the regularity competition. Marc Douton and Émilien Étienne claimed the inaugural stage.
Quote of the day
Mathieu Serradori : “ We set the tone for your Dakar “
The French private driver is here to rainfall on the favourites ‘ parade… and finished fourth today .
“ It was a hard day for everyone . We’re glad the particular stage is over. We set the tone for the Dakar. There were plenty of adjustments of pace. We weren’t reckless , but we pushed hard all day long. All of us made a few mistakes here and there , but we’re in good company in this respect. Fabien did a sterling job with the particular navigation, putting me back on track after I got into a limited spot two or three occasions. We jumped into all the right wadis . The big guns are usually on their way . Carlos and Stéphane… “
