The second stage of the Dakar rally posed a fresh challenge for the competitors.
From Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi, the 463-kilometer-long special filled with dunes and fast stretches will “favor the brave,” as the Dakar puts it, “but not the reckless.” It is truly an endurance stage.
Trucks
The Trucks category saw no new faces at the front as Janus van Kasteren clinched yet another Dakar stage victory – in fact, the Dutch driver has won all three (if you count the prologue) stages so far.
Ales Loprais, the closest contender, challenged van Kasteren throughout the stage as he pushed with the hopes of setting a faster time, however that was of no help as he finished in second place by only 6 seconds, but the general timings separate them by almost 13 minutes.
Martin Macik was the one to finish third by almost 2 and a half minutes. However, it’s worth noting that the Czech squad got penalized with an additonal 10 seconds.
SSVs
Gerard Farres Guell from Spain took the win in the SSVs. The Can-Am driver finished ahead of yesterday’s winner Xavier De Soultrait by 5 seconds.
Debutant Sara Price who took third place during Stage 1 now finished 7th, eight minutes from the lead. The American was unable to maintain her great performance from yesterday, but in the Dakar Rally anything can happen and the event has just begun.
The final step of the podium was taken by Joao Ferreira from Portugal, making it the second Can-Am SSV in the top three of the stage. In total, the team runs 4 vehicles in the category.
Things would have been different if it wasn’t for Rodrigo Valera’s penalty. The brazilian was handed an additional 15 minutes, which dropped him to the last place in the timing sheets.