In Stage 8, the drivers will go from Al Duwadimi to Ha’il. The start of the day will probably be easier – if that is an allowed word in the Dakar Rally – as the competitors will travel through the sand.
In the second part of the stage, stones are set to become the protagonists, making the terrain very unpredictable and hard to travel on. The participants will have to find the right receipt between fast and gentle, to avoid crashes, punctures, and mechanical problems.
SSVs
Xavier De Soultrait had a strong start to Stage 8 and led in the timing sheets almost until the end. However, the Frenchman couldn’t keep up to Joao Ferreira’s pace, who ended up winning.
The Portuguese driver started first and opened the way for everyone else. While this sometimes proves difficult, Ferreira managed well and took the victory home with a time that was 3 minutes and 43 seconds faster than De Soultrait, who finished behind him.
Someone who made a re-appearance at the top was Gerard Farres Guell. The Spaniard had suffered massively in the previous sections of the rally but was able to recover well, finishing third by a gap of a little over 7 minutes. However, he sits eight in the overall standings.
Dakar Rookie Sara Price finished just outside of the podium in fourth. The American has been comfortable making her way through the Saudi Arabian desert, and while her presence in the podium has been missing, she surely -and quietly- has made her way up the timings.
Trucks
Mitchel Van Den Brink dominated the truck category and claimed his second victory so far this year. The Dutchman managed to hold off Martin Macik but it was no easy battle, as only 1 minute and 18 seconds separated them. However, the Czech driver holds the overall lead with a difference of almost two hours.
Ales Loprais finished third – he struggled through the end of today’s route and lost significant pace. He was almost 14 minutes behind the leader, and holds third place in the overall rankings.
In the end, the truck race gets tighter at the front between Van Den Brink and Macik, but it doesn’t look like outsiders will significantly up the challenge. However, as we always say – it’s the Dakar, and anything can happen.