Leaders hold on in the third historic stage for Portugal
This Tuesday, Joaquim Rodrigues Jr. (Hero) entered the history of the Dakar off-road rally, becoming the ninth Portuguese rally to win a stage of the race, on a day when the leaders of the main categories they held out without command.
The rider from Barcelos spent 2h34.41 hours to complete the route in the motorcycle category, which today has been reduced from 368 to 255 kilometers due to heavy rains in that region of Saudi Arabia, leaving Australian Toby Price (KTM) in second place, at 1.13 minutes, and the American rookie Mason Klein (KTM) in third, at 1.14.
Australian Daniel Sanders (GasGas) was in a lively fight with the Portuguese pilot, getting to have more than a minute of advantage over Quim Rodrigues. However, he admitted that he had stopped for a few minutes at the end so as not to be the first on the track on Wednesday, a place that will thus fall to the Hero driver. He finished fifth, at 2.55 from Rodrigues.
The last Portuguese victory belonged to Hélder Rodrigues in the 12th stage of the 2016 edition, the year in which the ill-fated Paulo Gonçalves, brother-in-law of today’s winner, also won an event, the fourth.
Rui Gonçalves (Sherco) was 23rd today, at 9.24 minutes, in a stage that he classified as “extremely fast” and with “many dunes”. The Portuguese finished immediately behind Italian Danilo Petrucci (KTM), who returned to the race despite a heavy penalty (over 11 hours) for not completing the previous stage.
“Right now, the most important thing is to face each day, each stage, each kilometer safely, knowing right away that things are going much better,” said Rui Gonçalves, who was “proud” for his compatriot’s triumph.
António Maio (Yamaha) was 31st, 16.05 minutes behind the winner, while Mário Patrão (KTM) was 47th, giving precisely half an hour to ‘JRod’.
“The special was very fast, with a lot of sand and some really fun dunes and luckily everything went well,” said the GNR captain.
Arcélio Couto (Honda) was 80th, Alexandre Azinhais (KTM) 86th, Pedro Bianchi Prata 118th and Paulo Oliveira 121st
Overall, Briton Sam Sunderland (Honda) held the helm but for just four seconds, after being only 17th fastest today, 7.30 minutes from the winner.
Frenchman Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) is second, with Austrian Mathias Walkner (KTM) third, 1.30 minutes off the Honda rider.
With today’s victory, and with the classifications already finished, Joaquim Rodrigues Jr. moved up one place in the general classification, to 17th, 37.43 minutes from Sunderland.
António Maio is 29th, Rui Gonçalves 42nd, Alexandre Azinhais 72nd, Mário Patrão 79th, Arcélio Couto 85th, Pedro Bianchi Prata 90th and Paulo Oliveira 97th.
In automobiles, the day was also historic, with the first triumph of an electric car. It happened at the hands of the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Audi), who thus achieved his 40th victory in stages.
“If they had told me a year ago that this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s one of the most important days of my career,” said ‘El Matador’ at the end of the special.
The Audi RS Q e-tron driver completed a run in 2: 26.51 hours, with 38 seconds ahead of South African Henk Lategan (Toyota) and 1.41 minutes over Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi), new electric car.
Audi also placed a third car in the fastest five, with Swede Mathias Ëkstrom fifth at 2.59 minutes.
Qatar Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), leader at the start of this journey, was only eighth, 5.10 minutes from the winner, but gained new momentum towards victory due to problems suffered by Frenchman Sébastien Loeb (BRX).
The nine-times world rally champion saw his car’s rear transmission yield just 10 kilometers after the start of the special, covering almost 250 kilometers with only front wheel drive.
Loeb conceded close to half an hour, but assured of second place overall, 37.40 behind Al-Attiyah.
Argentine Lúcio Alvarez (Toyota) is third, but already 42.06 minutes behind the leader, while Carlos Sainz climbed to 22nd after the navigation problems suffered in stage 1B.
Miguel Barbosa (Toyota) was 47th today, adapted in 44th position.
“I’ve been sick yesterday and today, with headaches and body aches. It hasn’t been easy to always keep up, but I don’t know if it would be much better if that weren’t the case, because it hasn’t been easy at all. strong and we are a little green in some things, “admitted the Lisbon driver.
In light vehicles, Mário Franco (Yamaha) was 11th and is in seventh overall position, 14:27 hours behind the leader, Chilean Francisco Lopez Contardo (EKS).
In SSV, Rui Oliveira (Can-Am) was 29th, on a day when Luís Portela de Morais (Can-Am) was only 39th, 59.26 minutes behind the winner, Polish Marek Goczal (Can-Am) ).
The Portuguese driver, who was national rugby champion, broke a suspension rod “right at the start”, which took him some time.
On Wednesday, the fourth stage of the race is disputed, between Al Qaisumah and Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia.
It is the longest special in this edition, with 465 timed kilometers, comprising a section of fast tracks almost 200 kilometers long, chains of dunes and, not the end, a rocky route.