Components One driver Carlos Sainz Jr. made make the journey to Saudi Arabia to observe his father race within the Dakar Rally, and Dad shortly delivered. Regardless of struggling an early tyre puncture, Carlos Sainz Sr. made up misplaced floor to prime the Vehicles in Stage #1.
Audi team-mate Mattias Ekström, who gained the Prologue, continued his sturdy efficiency by main a lot the 600-kilometre opening stage however fell again within the later portion to Sainz and Sébastien Loeb. Ekström finally obtained a fifteen-minute time penalty for lacking a waypoint that dropped him to thirteenth. Sainz held off Loeb by simply ten seconds for the T1 win.
Nasser Al-Attiyah completed third, guaranteeing the T1 podium would totally consist of various producers as his Toyota Hilux joined Sainz’s Audi and Loeb’s Prodrive Hunter.
“We had one puncture originally so after that we proceeded with warning over the stones,” stated Sainz. “Then we have been in a position to up the velocity in the direction of the top of the stage.”
Pink Bulls dominated the T3 class as defending World Rally-Raid Champion Francisco López Contardo topped the category with American Junior Crew racers Seth Quintero, Austin Jones, and Mitch Guthrie respectively inserting third, fourth, and sixth. Guillaume de Mevius, a former Pink Bull member, broke up the social gathering by ending second, one minute and forty-nine seconds again of López.
Rokas Baciuška appeared to finish one other Pink Bull Can-Am sweep by topping T4, however was docked fifteen minutes for lacking a waypoint and relegated to ninth. Consequently, Eryk Goczał—who impressed by ending fourth within the Prologue—was promoted to the win forward of fellow 18-year-old Pau Navarro. His uncle Michal Goczał joined him on the rostrum.
The Bikes have been overshadowed by defending winner Sam Sunderland‘s scary wreck that ended his race after fifty-two kilometres. He was airlifted to hospital for a concussion and damaged shoulder however finally discharged and returned to the bivouac. Fellow rider Matthias Walkner stopped to help him and thereby obtained a time credit score.
“I’m kind of okay, a damaged shoulder blade, huge hematoma on my again and a concussion,” posted Sunderland on social media. “I really feel fairly embarrassed to be laid right here typing this out, being out of dakar on day one is a tricky capsule to swallow. I need to first categorical my disappointment for my crew who’ve labored so onerous to present me the instruments to defend this number one and deserve rather more, additionally to my companions that help me. These moments are what make the victories so particular. I felt actually good this morning and was main for the brief a part of the stage I rode then I’ve missed a stone beneath the sand in a river mattress and had a fairly violent crash. Thanks @matthias_walkner for stopping to assist me and to the @dakarrally medical crew for ensuring I used to be secure. I’ll attempt to study from this and I hope my teammates can carry house the outcome the crew deserve.”
With Sunderland out of the image, People dominated the day. RallyGP newcomer Mason Klein seemed to be the favorite with Ricky Brabec in tow earlier than Australia’s Daniel Sanders and Chile’s Pablo Quintanilla closed the hole. Klein dropped out of the highest 5 as Sanders and Quintanilla unofficially topped the chart earlier than each obtained two-minute penalties to advertise Brabec to the stage win.
“Purpose primary was to not open the stage,” commented Brabec, referring to beginning twenty-first regardless of ending tenth within the Prologue as the highest ten riders have been allowed to pick their beginning place. “I really feel fairly nicely and assured after at present, however I’ll simply attempt to go day-to-day, preserve tempo and keep within the Prime 10. It’s going to be onerous to be out of the lead, like we noticed at present, however we have now to see the way it goes till the remainder day. Right this moment was pretty easy, no stress, it was an awesome day.”
Paolo Lucci gained in Rally2 by twenty-one seconds over Manuel Andujar. Lucci’s BAS World team-mate Bradley Cox retired after hitting a damaged dune and dislocating his elbow.
Amid the penalties and rider crashes, the most important incident of the day got here when Michel Kremer‘s #247 Century CR6 flipped on an errant touchdown and caught hearth. Kremer and co-driver Thomas de Bois have been unhurt.
