It has been a troublesome Dakar Rally for the Prodrive Hunters as tyre failures and different comparable misfortunes have marred their quartet of drivers all through the race regardless of inserting two on the T1 podium within the rain-shortened third stage. Issues appeared to worsen within the Stage #4 Ha’il loop as three suffered main points, however Sébastien Loeb was in a position to buck the pattern and escape with the win.
After ending second in Stage #1, the 2022 runner-up appeared to have his luck run out throughout the subsequent two legs with three blown tyres and a mechanical problem plaguing him. Though dropped all the way down to twenty-sixth within the total standings, Loeb held off the Audis of Stéphane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz for the T1 victory. He beat Peterhansel by 13 seconds, however even this didn’t go with out a hitch as he misplaced his energy steering within the closing run.
“That’s nice to take the stage once more on the Dakar. It’s an ideal feeling because it proves we now have the pace with the Hunter,” stated Loeb. “We pushed actually laborious from the begin to the top of the stage because the automotive was going nicely. Every little thing was good. About eighty kilometres from the top of the stage, I felt the facility steering tighten somewhat however then twenty kilometres from the top it went so we needed to be fairly a bit slower within the dunes to the end, however we did what we might and it labored. We’re comfortable to be on the highest step immediately.”
The total-distance win gives some much-needed reduction for the Hunters. Orlando Terranova, Loeb’s companion at Bahrain Raid Xtreme who completed third in Stage #3, retired from the Rally altogether after aggravating a decrease again damage he sustained in a tough touchdown throughout Tuesday’s stage. Vaidotas Žala suffered from oil leakage in his Hunter’s two right-rear shock absorbers, whereas Stage #3 winner Guerlain Chicherit had a damaged rear suspension arm simply 9 minutes into the fourth adopted by shedding energy steering.
The 2023 Dakar Rally has confirmed to be extra attrition-heavy than earlier editions in Saudi Arabia, and this continued to be evident past the Hunters’ dangerous luck. Bike crew Hero MotoSports was notably hit laborious on Wednesday as Franco Caimi was their lone rider of 4 to not have any issues en path to a seventeenth-place end; Joaquim Rodrigues fell off his bike after ninety kilometres and broke his left femur, requiring a medical airlift, whereas Ross Department and Stage #2 runner-up Sebastian Bühler respectively suffered a mechanical failure and ran out of gasoline. T1 driver Benediktas Vanagas additionally withdrew mid-race for medical consideration as a consequence of concussion-like signs.
Marek Goczał, the T4 winner in Stage #1, didn’t even make it out of the primary sector after a weird incident involving fellow SSV driver David Zille‘s automotive. Whereas climbing a dune, Goczał’s steering broke and prompted him to tumble down into Zille’s path, leading to a head-on collision. Though each had been pressured to retire from the stage, they had been unhurt within the accident. Goczał’s son Eryk was extra lucky as he went on to say his second stage win with Marek’s brother Michal in third.
Within the Bikes, Joan Barreda received his thirtieth profession stage regardless of nursing a damaged left huge toe that he acquired in Stage #2. José Ignacio Cornejo was initially deemed the winner after race officers awarded him 25:55 in time credit score for attending to Rodrigues till assist arrived, however a revised calculation dominated he had solely misplaced seven minutes and thirty-five seconds complete, leaving him a still-solid ninth.
“I used to be going nicely however then at round kilometre 90 I needed to cease and assist Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodrigues,” defined Cornejo. “He had a extreme crash and I needed to name medical assist. After this, it took me some time to get again on monitor and discover my rhythm again, however I’m glad I did it anyway. That’s a part of the solidary Dakar spirit.”
“I’m feeling significantly better now on the hospital, and will likely be present process a surgical procedure,” commented Rodrigues. “I thank all our followers and companions for the priority and assist, and I hope to be again in motion quickly.”
