2024 Dakar Rally Stage 5 in a nutshell – Al Hofuf > Shubaytah , Special: 118km Liaison: 527km
- There’s not much to say about today’s special stage except that it was mainly dunes and at 118km was basically a sprint for these guys. A sprint ahead of the mysterious two-day Chrono stage to follow (more on that below).
- 1:32.53 on the special for today’s winner Pablo Quintanilla (subject to any speeding fines again, eh Pablo?!). Less rocks, less trick navigation, more dunes saw the Chilean finish ahead of sand lovers Adrien Van Beveren, Toby Price and Daniel Sanders – all three having their best daily results of the rally so far (they need it).
- Two engine changes on his Kove done already, Mason Klein popped back into the mix today with P5. We know he should be here in the top 10 but Mason hasn’t been so this year much due to mechanical problems on his new ride (this is development riding and some for the Chinese manufacturer!). Starting in 56th place today Klein did get an hour and 15 longer sleeping relative to the leaders, so it’s not all bad…
- Sixth on the stage and 3:42 off the pace, Ross Branch was steadier after two crashes yesterday but did enough to regain the overall race lead, swinging back in his favour by one minute. That’s four of the five stages he has lead already for Hero.
- Stage four winner, and overnight leader, Nacho Cornejo had a harder time leading in the soft stuff and though he tried, gaining a meagre .49s of bonus time (added at 1s for every kilometre led), he got hoovered up by the guys following his wheel tracks and finished 12th and over six minutes down.
- Ricky Brabec remains a solid third overall, 3:47 down but still, it feels like these three have the race in their hands at this stage. Van Beveren in gaining momentum, and the next few days will be crucial in the sand, but he is the best of the rest 18 minutes adrift on scratch times.
- “I’m happy I could finish but in the last 5kms my bike stopped three or four times, we will see…”. It sounded ominous for World Rally-Raid Champion Lucian Benavides who arrived by the skin of his teeth on a bike sounding very rough. It could be an engine change for Luciano tonight which means 15 minutes added to his time which will drop him outside the top 10.
- What does need pointing out in no uncertain terms is how damn far they rode to get to the start of the special – it took two fuel stops and was a long, straight and boring road in the cold and dark.
- As we’ve said before, drop into Google Maps and check how far 527 kilometres (327 miles) is from your front door. Now get up at 3:30am and do it on a dirt bike.
- It’s no fun in a freezing desert either, plus this is day five of the Dakar so they’re already knackered. “That’s the furthest I’ve ever ridden a motorbike!” Said EnduroGP Women’s World Champion Jane Daniels (62nd today), competing her first Dakar. ‘On yer’ Jane as the Aussies say.
- They needed it easier (on the bike at least) today because from tomorrow morning they are on their own again in this vast and empty place.
- A two-day marathon stage, or rather one single stage spread over two days which they are dubbing the “48hr Chrono” section begins tomorrow. So Stage 5 is run across Thursday and Friday – Stage 6A and Stage 6B if you like.
- Details remain thin as the organisers are keeping schtum until tonight’s briefing, leaving riders and teams in the dark until the last minute. One detail is the GP class departs in reverse order meaning Joan Barreda, last in class tonday, goes first while Quintanilla will go 17th (Rally2 class follows on after in classification order). Stage 6A will be long and potentially hot again like today, riding to a time cut-off point where they stop, have limited time to check their own bikes and then bed down in a tent village (no service crew and limited facilities, no catering etc).
- When we’ve listened to the briefing tonight, we’ll pass on the info because we’re as curious as the riders and teams are. Stay tuned.