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David Sánchez de Castro
Domingo, 12 de enero 2025, 17:15
Daniel Sanders is on the verge of making history. The Australian rider claimed his fifth victory in the Dakar this Sunday, becoming the first since 2016 to win five stages without yet having a title to his name. Chucky Sanders is proving that even though KTM as a brand is heading towards the gallows, it deserves one last triumph in the event where they became legends of two-wheeled off-road racing.
Sanders' task for the day was to capitalise on the opportunity. On a day when cars and motorcycles traversed different terrains, not leading the way was even more crucial to gain an advantage by following the tracks of preceding riders. Thus, Sanders did not hide his strategy at any point, aware that with Honda's army (four riders behind him) in full pursuit, he needs to be smart as well as skilled. It's no coincidence that Honda bets on teamwork, and on this day, Brabec and Van Beveren decided to open the track together, thinking of helping each other in navigation tasks.
Once again, the riders complained about the organisation due to the constant technical problems they are experiencing. This time, it affected cars more, but there were also motorcycle riders who had to circle the dunes until they reached the necessary checkpoint. It was in the sandy area where Tosha Schareina shone the most, keeping pace with Sanders until they reached the 154th point, where there were barely 3 seconds between them.
The Valencian rider can do nothing but attack, and Sanders is aware of this. That's why they engaged in an intense battle against the clock, and almost until the end, they were racing with nearly identical times, with the Spaniard trying to catch him and the Australian neutralising those attempts. It wasn't until the 339-kilometre checkpoint that Sanders opened a gap, putting more than two minutes on Schareina, who was also surprised at the end by Edgar Canet, who, at 19, continues to impress in this Dakar.
But even in this, things went well for Sanders. When he most needed the sand to give him a break, at the beginning, he was able to run faster. "It was a very fast stage, technical at the start. It had rained a lot, so we had clear and visible tracks, allowing us to correct any mistakes or slight deviations taken by those ahead," summarised the overall leader.
With five stages remaining, Schareina still needs to make up 15 minutes and 33 seconds against the tough Sanders, with Van Beveren third, just over 26 minutes behind. The stage that will take them to the capital, Riyadh, will be a true test, especially in navigation, for the motorcyclists.
Henk Lategan took a bit of a breather on Sunday, perhaps too much. Despite still leading, he now feels the breath of Yazeed Al Rajhi on his back, with only a 21-second advantage over the Saudi driver at the wheel of the Overdrive Hilux, Toyota's theoretical B team.
The victory went to a Toyota, but to Lucas Moraes'. Penalised the previous day with an hour for receiving a mobile phone during the neutralised section, he redeemed himself with a stage win that also has a Spanish touch, as his co-driver is former two-wheel man Armand Monleon. The Brazilian was one of those who best navigated the difficult dunes and the challenging navigation section, although he did not escape the problems of finding the checkpoints that are causing so many headaches.
The performance of the two Fords, which theoretically arrived as second or third options of the structure, was noteworthy. Ekstrom and Guthrie finished the day second and third respectively, both less than ten minutes behind Moraes, confirming that the Raptor is a good car. What could Sainz and Roma have achieved if they hadn't been left out? It's impossible to know now.
One of the day's casualties was Nasser Al-Attiyah. Although he made up time with the race leaders, it wasn't enough, and he can't be too optimistic. He still has Lategan almost 22 minutes ahead and knows the coming days won't be easy.
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