Dakar 2022 - News and Results Stages 5-8

[Seymour Asscrack]

Published in: News

Once again the New Year is heralded by the sound of engines screaming through the desert, vying to stand atop the pinnacle of off road racing; the Dakar Rally has returned to Saudi Arabia for 2022. As in past years; check back here at ADVMoto for daily news, standings, and updates as the race progresses.

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• Stage 1 - January 2, 2022

• GASGAS Factory Racing’s Aussie Hard Charger Makes the Perfect Start to Dakar 2022

After setting a blistering time and winning yesterday’s Prologue, Daniel Sanders has maintained his impressive speed to secure victory on today’s opening stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally! Opting to enter the stage as the 15th rider and chase down the riders ahead, the Aussie’s game plan worked perfectly with the GASGAS RC 450F Rally racer winning the special by over three minutes to maintain his place at the top of the overall provisional classification. For Sam Sunderland, despite struggling to find a waypoint along with many of his rivals, the Brit ultimately completed the stage as the sixth fastest rider.

So far things are shaping up really good. After winning the Prologue yesterday I got to choose my starting position and opted to start in 15th and then focus on chasing after the guys up front. There was some tricky navigation near the end of the special but I kept cool, avoided any huge errors and then l lead the stage to the end. This was great for me as it made sure I focused on my roadbook and as I’ll lead out tomorrow – it was good to get a little experience of riding alone up front. I’m excited for tomorrow and looking forward to the challenge ahead. - Daniel Sanders

Enjoying a strong debut ride aboard GASGAS machinery at the 2022 Dakar Rally, Sam Sunderland was well placed and running up front with the leading riders until until finding one of the waypoints late on in the 334-kilometer special proved anything but easy. After losing valuable time along with many of his rivals, Sunderland quickly found his way and pushed to the end of the special to secure his sixth-place finish.

The first proper day is done and it’s safe to say that we went straight in at the deep end! My navigation was good all day but when we got to kilometer 276 there was a waypoint which was really difficult to find. A few of us went around in circles but once I found it my only option was to push as hard as I could to make up for lost time. It’s been a tough first day but there’s such a long way to go, hopefully tomorrow will go a little more smoothly. - Sam Sunderland

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• HRC Monster Energy’s Quintanilla Replicates Second Place at the End of the First Dakar 2022 Stage

Today marks the end of the first stage of the Dakar Rally 2022, which began yesterday with the prologue. Pablo Quintanilla repeated yesterday’s position and remains in contention for the race lead.

Yesterday’s prologue stage was a mere curtain-raiser for the riders, but today the Dakar challenge turned serious. Navigation was the main protagonist of the day at several key points along the sandy tracks of the 333-kilometre special stage, in particular, some 50 kilometres from the end of the special where several riders lost their way. However, with the Dakar barely underway, anything can still potentially happen. The Monster Energy Honda Team riders are fairly confident that there will be other instances, similar to today’s, in store over the coming stages.

Pablo Quintanilla produced a fine performance today, arriving at the Ha’il bivouac satisfied with both his riding prowess and navigation. The rider set a fine pace to hold on to his position in the general standings securing another runner-up spot on the stage.

The day proved to be a complicated one for Joan Barreda, Ricky Brabec and José Ignacio Cornejo. The three experienced complications at one of the stage’s trickiest points and ended up conceding several minutes, dropping them down the RallyGP order.

The second stage of the Dakar, set to take place tomorrow, will be dominated by dunes. There will be several stretches of dunes occupying about a quarter of the 338-kilometre special stage. With a total of 568 kilometres, this was intended to be the only marathon stage of the 2022 Dakar, finishing in Al Artawiyah, but due to a heavy downpour yesterday which flooded the originally planned site, the bivouac has been moved to Al Qaisumah. As a result, there is no scheduled marathon stage and RallyGP riders will be able to receive external mechanical assistance like on any other race day.

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• Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Matthias Walkner finishes third on opening stage of Dakar Rally 2022

As the 11th rider to start today’s special stage following his fifth place finish in the event’s opening prologue, Matthias Walkner pushed hard from the start and, throughout the opening six waypoints, made up good time on the riders ahead of him. Running into a navigational issue mid-way between waypoints six and seven, Walkner was able to quickly find his way and end the stage in a strong third place.

It was a good day but super tricky with the navigation today. The rain certainly made the sand harder and things a little more challenging, but a few of us worked together, riding in a fast, strong group at the end of the stage to make sure that we arrived at the finish in a good way. In the morning the rain made the sand firmer and really nice to ride on, but at the end of the day it was much more challenging and harder to ride on. Although today was a hard day, it’s only the first day of the rally. We saw it last year, you can lose or win 30 minutes or so, but at this early stage in the race that doesn’t mean too much. - Matthias Walkner

While the first true stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally was a good one for Matthias Walkner, for teammate Kevin Benavides it proved to be a highly challenging one. Following his third fastest time in yesterday’s prologue, Kevin opted to start today’s stage as the 13th rider, which for the majority of the special proved to be hugely beneficial. However mid-way between waypoints six and seven, Kevin became one of many riders to make navigational errors, ultimately leading to a loss of time and an eventual 14th place finish.

The only thing I can really say is that today was not the best first day for me. There was a lot of confusion surrounding one note on the road book, which caused a lot of different riders, myself included, to make a mistake. It was such a frustrating situation. Finally, I was able to find the correct track, but of course I lost a lot of time. The important thing is that I felt really good on my bike. There’s a lot of kilometers still to race, so it’s important to stay positive and go again tomorrow, and push for good results.  - Kevin Benavides

In stark contrast to his winning ride on stage one of last year’s Dakar Rally, Toby Price unfortunately endured a hugely frustrating opening stage. As one of the many riders to run into the same navigational issue, the Australian would eventually complete the special 47 minutes down on countryman and stage winner Daniel Sanders.

The stage was a bit of a rough one for me today. There was one note that just didn’t seem to add up properly, didn’t quite make sense to me, so I ended up getting lost for 45, maybe 50, minutes. So, not a good way to start the rally. But it’s early days and let’s see what happens. No crashes, so that’s good, but a costly navigation mistake. I’ll keep my head down and keep at it and see what tomorrow brings. -  Toby Price

Faring well during his first ever Dakar Rally special stage, Danilo Petrucci was able to benefit from his starting position of 33rd and follow the tracks ahead of him, ending end the stage 13th fastest. Arriving at the troublesome waypoints after the leading riders, the Italian was able to avoid issues and went on to enjoy a notably positive result.

I’m really, really happy to finish my first real Dakar stage. I was so nervous at the start. Generally, all went ok for me but the 120 kilometers after the refueling seemed really, really long for me, especially with the big dunes. - Danilo Petrucci

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• Demanding Opening Special Stage for Husqvarna Factory Racing at Dakar 2022

At the end of a demanding opening day of competition at the 2022 Dakar Rally it was Skyler Howes who claimed Husqvarna Factory Racing’s best result, the American completed the 546-kilometre stage as the 10th fastest rider despite a navigational issue hampering his performance. Teammate Luciano Benavides was less fortunate, ending the day in 38th position having been among the first riders to arrive at a troublesome section of the special stage, going on to lose valuable time trying to find the correct route through the stage.

Opting to ride cautiously during yesterday’s opening prologue so as to avoid being among the first riders into today’s special stage, Skyler was the 22nd rider to begin the first true special stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally. Steadily working his way forward while settling himself into the stage, the American improved to place just outside the top 10 as he arrived at the day’s most challenging navigational section. Thankfully, trusting his instincts, he lost little time and was able to ride on for an eventual 10th place result, earning a beneficial starting position for tomorrow’s second stage.

Today’s stage was actually quite fun to ride. It was the first stage of this year’s Dakar so I wasn’t pushing too hard. There were a lot of tracks and a lot of camel grass, so it was easy to get caught out. I just used the stage to feel my way into things early on, but then made a pretty big navigational error and just got things really wrong, like a lot of riders did. Thankfully, I went with my gut instincts and rode over a hill, then another hill, met up with some other riders that were looking for the waypoint and from there managed to find the waypoint before riding together to the finish. Apart from that the day was fun and my bike was great, so onto tomorrow. - Skyler Howes

Unfortunately for Skyler’s teammate Luciano Benavides, the Argentinian saw what began as a positive day’s work come undone mid-way between the refuelling stop and the end of the special stage. One of the first rider to enter the stage, and a lead rider for much of the day, Luciano struggled to find the day’s decisive and all-important waypoint. Dropping more than one hour to the fastest rider by the time he reached the end of the special, Luciano eventually placed 38th.

You always hope that when you are one of the first riders to start a special stage that there won’t be any big difficulties, but today there were. I ended up in all the drama with the one note that a lot of riders struggled with. After doing a good job opening the stage, at one point I was one of 10 or 12 riders all lost, which is really frustrating. Not the way I wanted the rally to start, but we will race hard during the remaining 11 stages. - Luciano Benavides

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• Stage 1 Top 10 Results

1. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 4:38:40
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 4:41:47
3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 4:49:46
4. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 4:51:26
5. Mason Klein (KTM) 4:53:14
6. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 4:54.36
7. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 4:55:34
8. Xavier Soultrait (Husqvarna) 4:57:16
9. Ross Branch (Yamaha) 4:58:01
10. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 5:03:52

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For live timing and more official news, see Dakar.com.

Source

[Buckster]

No mention of Harley Davidson?

[boboneleg]

30 minutes ago, Buckster said:

No mention of Harley Davidson?

 

[Buckster]

12 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

 

That guys teeth! He could bite a curly wurly and not taste chocolate.

[Sir Fallsalot]

There's a local welsh guy riding again this year Simon Hewitt

[MooN]

guy I know riding for 2nd time this year in the "Malle moto" category, Amaury Baratin, Bib N0 79. finished 87 of 144 on the first day despite a fuel pump problem, 

lost 2 hours or more on the 2nd stage due to same problem and getting very lost, finished 94th

spent the night stripping fuel pumps and relays then gained 29 places and made up an hour today to finish 65th, ( 82nd overall) 1h08 behind the leader. having had no more fuel pump issues.

long way to go yet. 

Simon Hewitt curently 135th.  3,5 hrs behind the leader

[skyrider]

is that guy from garstang riding this year ?

[MooN]

Amaury is now 64th, 45 minutes behind the leader and 77th overall, GO MOMO!   

[Tym]

My best guess is they will never make it to Dakar, Tammy could. 

[MooN]

Amaury is out!  had a good start this morning and was running in position 57 having made up more time on the leaders, riding hard he rode into the dust of the quad he was catching up to and thinks he hit a step or a lip which threw him in the air, came down hard and broke an ankle, he had to crawl some distance back to the bike ( that reminds me of someone, eh @Tym ) in order to activate his emergemcy beacon. A helico was there within 15 minutes so he's safe, if not sound, and of course bitterly dissapointed.  

Yer Welshman, Hewitt is currently 126th but he hasn't finished yet. 

[Tym]

Mothers were right, you will hurt yourself. 

[Seymour Asscrack]

Published in: News

Once again the New Year is heralded by the sound of engines screaming through the desert, vying to stand atop the pinnacle of off road racing; the Dakar Rally has returned to Saudi Arabia for 2022. As in past years; check back here at ADVMoto for daily news, standings, and updates as the race progresses.

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• Stage 6 – January 7, 2022

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• Stage 6 Top 10 Results

1. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 0:51:43
2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 0:54:09
3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 0:54:19
4. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 0:54:58
5. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 0:55:02
6. Mason Klein (KTM) 0:55:16
7. Stefan Svitko (Slovnaft) 0:55:48
8. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 0:55:53
9. Toby Price (KTM) 0:55:59
10. Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) 0:56:12

• Overall Top 10 Results

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS)
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM)
3. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS)
4. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha)
5. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda)
6. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco)
7. Stefan Svitko (Slovnaft)
8. Kevin Benavides (KTM)
9. Joan Barreda Bort (Honda)
10. Mason Klein (KTM)

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• GASGAS Factory Racing Dominate Stage Six at the Dakar Rally

One-two in today’s shortened stage and one-three in the provisional overall, not a bad first week's work for GASGAS Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders! At the end of a wild opening six days of desert racing at the 2022 Dakar Rally, Sam holds onto the top spot of the provisional overall leaderboard while Daniel claimed his second stage win of the race, moving up to third in the overall provisional classification. Shortened due to safety concerns, stage six saw riders head back to the bivouac early, where they’ll remain for tomorrow’s official rest day.

It was going really well for me today and I guess it ended well actually with another stage win. I started off strong, a bit like I have all week, but it was soon pretty clear that the stage was pretty chewed up from yesterday after the trucks had raced through it. So, then it was a case of trying to focus on the dangers in the roadbook but because of how the stage was, there were plenty of additional dangers to keep an eye out for. I’m a little disappointed that today was cut short, though. There was a long day ahead where it would have been possible to make up some time but I’m happy to have taken another stage win and I’m looking forward to next week. - Daniel Sanders

Rounding out a strong and consistent week of racing, Sam Sunderland finished as runner-up on stage six, just a couple of minutes behind Daniel. Able to accurately read the challenging terrain, the Brit applied a cautious approach throughout the abbreviated special. Safely bringing his GASGAS RC 450F Rally home on the shortened, 100-kilometer stage without any issues, Sam importantly maintains his lead in the provisional standings.

Ahead of today there were quite a few riders concerned about how the stage would be after the trucks had raced it yesterday, and it was unbelievable out there. So many rocks and square edges where trucks spin up the dirt and leave the rocks behind. So, on a bike, you’re basically coming up to half meter high walls of rock everywhere. You then start going offline to find smooth lines but then your roadbook isn’t quite right as you’ve ridden away from the correct line. For me it was the right decision for it to be shortened today and I’m happy to reach the halfway point still in the lead. I’m looking forward to the rest day tomorrow and a chance to recharge my batteries ahead of next week. - Sam Sunderland

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• Third-Place Result for KTM’s Matthias Walkner on Shortened Dakar Stage Six

The initially planned 404-kilometer special on today's stage six was set to see the bike class competitors repeat the route used by the cars and trucks yesterday. With the terrain heavily cut up by the passing of the previous day’s vehicles, the organizers decided to cut the stage short on safety grounds and take the day’s results from the first refueling point, at just over the 100-kilometer mark.

Matthias Walkner came into today’s stage knowing that the rough terrain would pose a huge challenge to all riders and the chance of some unexpected dangers was very high. As such, the experienced Austrian took extra care on the heavily rutted ground and aimed for a safe finish to the stage. Despite his caution, Walkner was third fastest to the refueling point at kilometer 100, where the stage was eventually stopped. Matthias now sits second overall at the close of the first week of racing, trailing the current rally leader by under three minutes.

Obviously it was a short day today and the tracks were really rough. You had to focus a lot and really take care – it was also very physical with the ground being cut up so badly. I’m a little disappointed that they let us race the stage only to cancel it at 100 kilometers, but I suppose it was the same for everyone. Thankfully it all went ok, and I reached the finish safely. We have a rest day tomorrow that I’m really looking forward to, so I’ll try and recharge my batteries and then attack once again next week for the final six stages. - Matthias Walkner

As the fifth rider to enter the stage, Toby Price also soon realized that extra care was needed to avoid a crash. Despite a couple of close calls, the two-time Dakar champion safely arrived at the end of the special in eighth place. Lying 12th in the provisional overall standings, Toby trails the leader by just under 40 mins. However, with the toughest, most technical six days of the event left to race, the Australian star is confident of being able to close that deficit.

It was quite a short stage today. The cars and trucks had all passed through there yesterday, so we were on their stage today. I think we all went into the stage with a bit of a feeling that it wasn’t going to work and yeah, a lot of the dangers were worse than listed on the roadbook and there were a few extra hazards out there too. I think they made the right call to stop it at 100 kilometers – I had a couple of scary moments myself out there. I’m happy to reach the rest day safely, not quite the overall position I would have liked, but there’s still a long way to go, so I’ll give my all and see what I can do next week. - Toby Price

Similarly to his teammates, Kevin Benavides took a measured approach to today’s stage, ultimately completing the 100 kilometers in 15th place, less than six minutes down on the eventual winner. The reigning Dakar Champion still sits inside the top 10 overall going into week two, and with the expected rougher terrain and more technical navigation suiting the Argentinian’s strengths; he’s looking forward to delivering a strong ride on the final six days in Saudi.

I started off really well today but then came across Ross Branch who had had a crash early on, so I thought maybe it would be a good idea to ease off a little. We arrived at the refueling and after that I tried my best to push on but then they stopped the stage early and took the results from 100 kilometers. I think it was the right decision as the tracks were really rough and quite dangerous for us. Finishing 15th today gives me a good position to start the second week, so I’m happy. - Kevin Benavides

Following on from his outstanding stage win on day six – the first ever for a former MotoGP rider – Tech3 KTM Factory Racing's Danilo Petrucci was given the unenviable task of opening today’s heavily damaged special. The likeable Italian did an extremely good job, even after a crash in the opening few kilometers resulted in a few cuts and bruises. Arriving at the finish in 40th place, just under 13 minutes down, Danilo was pleased with how he had handled the all-new experience and now looks forward to a well-earned day off the bike.

Today was the first time in my career that I have opened a stage, and I think it was on one of the toughest stages of this year’s rally because it was used for the cars and trucks yesterday. The team did a good job of warning me about the dangers, but I was still surprised to find a big step in the middle of the track. I had quite a heavy crash and the rider behind me crashed too, but luckily, I was able to continue. I think they made the right decision and now I’m looking forward to having one day of rest before continuing on Sunday. Danilo Petrucci

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• Stage Six of the Dakar Stopped at Kilometer 101

Today’s stage was cut short due to poor conditions. Race organizers called a halt to the special stage with 101 kilometers completed, a quarter of the scheduled total.

As had previously been predicted, today’s stage was held amid dismal track conditions, given that the cars, SSVs and trucks had competed over the same route a day earlier. Riders set out well-aware that they would have their work cut out on this tough, physical stage. However, the race organizers quickly realized just how treacherous the route was for most riders: “The deterioration of the track due to the passage of cars and trucks yesterday, combined with recent torrential rains, has made the route impassable,” announced the ASO mid-stage. Furthermore, the organizers’ communiqué stated that “the classification for the sixth stage will be established at kilometer 101”. Therefore, the final stage length was approximately a quarter of the originally scheduled total.

José Ignacio Cornejo and Ricky Brabec found themselves opening the way after the two riders ahead crashed in a dangerous, deeply rutted position after yesterday’s traffic of four-wheelers and trucks. On reaching the refueling point, the riders were instructed to continue, however, the race direction helicopter subsequently informed them that the special had been shortened to the refueling point, and from there, competitors were directed back to the bivouac in Riyadh. Pablo Quintanilla, who had been in pursuit, also managed to reach the end of the special at kilometer 101 and later accompanied the other riders to the bivouac.

The shortened stage proved to be a blessing for Joan Barreda, who this morning started still visibly in pain after yesterday’s fall where he injured his shoulder. The Monster Energy Honda Team rider was able to complete today’s partial stage and will be grateful to have reached the rest day. Stage seven gets the rally underway again the following day.

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• Luciano Benavides 11^th Fastest on Stage Six at 2022 Dakar Rally

Luciano Benavides has delivered a solid but cautious performance on the much-shortened timed special on day six of the 2022 Dakar Rally, to complete the stage in 11th place. With the planned route following that of the trucks and cars from the day before, the tracks were notably damaged with many new dangers not included on the riders’ roadbooks. Realizing the situation, Benavides used his experience to carefully navigate his way through the stage, ensuring a safe finish.

Originally planned to cover 404 kilometers, stage six was ultimately cut short by the organizers after it was found that the terrain was far more treacherous than first anticipated, due to the passing of the four-wheeled competitors the day before. Reduced to a quarter of its length, stage times were taken from the first refueling point.

Showing especially strong form over the previous couple of stages, Luciano Benavides came into day six looking to move further up the overall ranking ahead of Saturday’s rest day. As the 10th rider into the special it was immediately obvious to him that the tracks were heavily damaged, and caution was required in order to minimize any mistakes or crashes on the unpredictable terrain.

A solid but safe ride saw the Argentinean arrive at the refueling point in 11th place, where he learned that the stage would be cut short. Frustrated not to have been able to make up more time on his rivals, but happy to come away from the stage without damaging himself or his bike, Luciano now looks forward to the rest day, and ahead to the second week of racing at this year’s Dakar.

Honestly, I think the organizers made the right decision today. We knew the stage would be cut up quite badly – it always is when we follow the trucks and cars. This one seemed quite bad, and it was very easy to make a mistake, especially as a lot of the dangers weren’t listed in the roadbook. I’m happy with how I rode the stage – I chose not to push too hard, to use my brain and bring the bike home safely. Finishing 11th is ok, and it gives me a good start position for Sunday. Now, I’m looking forward to having some rest tomorrow. I feel pretty good, I think I was definitely very well prepared for this year’s race physically, but the final week is always tough and I want to be as strong as I can be to do my best. Luciano Benavides

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• Stage 5 – January 6, 2022

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• Stage 5 Top 10 Results

1. Danilo Petrucci (KTM) 3:23:46
2. Ross Branch (Yamaha) 3:23:48
3. Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Honda) 3:23:51
4. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:25:18
5. Toby Price (KTM) 3:25:18
6. Mason Klein (KTM) 3:27:07
7. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 3:28:15
8. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:28:28
9. Martin Michek (Orion) 3:30:53
10. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:31:11

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• Overall Top 10 Results

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS)
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM)
3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha)
4. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS)
5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco)
6. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda)
7. Ross Branch (Yamaha)
8. Kevin Benavides (KTM)
9. Stefan Svitko (Slovnaft)
10. Joan Barreda Bort (Honda)

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• Danilo Petrucci Wins Stage Five at Dakar 2022

In what has been a race of huge highs and lows for Danilo Petrucci, the Italian has proven his offroad credentials in no uncertain terms today, winning stage five of the 2022 Dakar in what is his first ever rally raid competition. Completing yesterday’s stage four as third fastest, Danilo was penalized 10 minutes for speeding, and was relegated to 15th. However, setting off with an advantageous start position into today’s special, and focusing on improving his roadbook skills, the MotoGP race winner was able to steadily move up through the field to ultimately take the win.

Friday’s stage six of the Dakar will see the bike class follow the same route that the cars took today, and as such Danilo will have some tracks already left in the sand ahead of him as he opens his first ever rally stage.

Today was quite a long day. I set off this morning and decided I really wanted to learn and improve my navigation, so I didn’t push too hard at the beginning. After one corner there was a large dune with a group of camels on the other side. One big camel came into the track, and I had to avoid it, but ended up crashing after going across a lot of bumps and camel grass. That was my very first crash of this Dakar. After that I eased off a bit and Kevin caught up with me and we rode together towards the finish. After catching a few more riders we came across a waypoint that didn’t validate for everyone – I lost some time there. The last 60 kilometers were all dunes and so I was very careful there to make sure I didn’t hurt my ankle. So, it’s been an interesting and tough day, but I have really enjoyed it. - Danilo Petrucci

Continuing to play catch up after losing a large chunk of time on the event’s opening stage; Toby Price rode a strong stage five, only to be penalized for speeding in a neutralization zone. The resulting six-minute penalty dropped the Aussie down to fifth place. Heading into the final stage before the rest day, Toby lies 14th overall and will be looking to gain even more time back tomorrow.

Today has been a good stage, starting quite far back definitely makes things a bit easier, but today there was a bit of a dust storm, so everyone had to be on their game and focus on the roadbook. I made a couple of little errors and mistakes, but all-in-all it was a solid stage. - Toby Price

After a strong start to stage five, Kevin Benavides was immediately in the hunt for the stage win, posting the fastest time to the checkpoint at kilometer 81. The reigning Dakar Champion maintained his top-four placing all the way to the final 60 kilometers, where a tricky-to-register waypoint ended up costing him, and others, some time. Despite the setback, Kevin was able to complete the stage safely in eighth place, and now also lies eighth in the provisional overall standings.

So day five at the Dakar went really well for me. I felt much better first thing this morning, so I was really motivated to attack. I pushed hard all day right up until the end where one waypoint proved really difficult to validate. I had arrived in a group of riders, and it worked for some, but not for the others. I lost quite a bit of time there trying to find it. After that I pushed as hard as I could over the last section of dunes to recover some time. Hopefully the organizers will look into the problem, and we get some time back. - Kevin Benavides

Another stage, and another consistently fast performance by Matthias Walkner saw the experienced Austrian claim an 11th place finish. In doing so he cemented his second-place position in the overall standings, closing the gap on the rally leader by another 30 seconds. Ready for tomorrow’s 644-kilometer stage, Walkner will be looking to complete the first week at the 2022 Dakar strongly.

It was a really nice day for me today. I caught Sam (Sunderland) around kilometer 90 and from there we rode together with me leading most of the way, but both of us were pushing quite hard and keeping up a good pace. There was a strange situation near the end with one waypoint that didn’t validate so easily for me. I think a few people struggled there, so the organizers will have to check the GPS. Overall, I’m happy I didn’t lose too much time and I’m becoming a lot more comfortable on the new bike. My navigation today has been good too on quite a tricky stage, so everything is going to plan. - Matthias Walkner

• Cornejo and Brabec Excel in Stage Five

The first of the two looping routes in Riyadh got underway today, where – for the first time in Dakar history – the motorcycle riders rode the entire stage completely autonomously from the car and truck categories. The fifth stage of the rally was battled out over a 346-kilometer special stage, covering hard and stony ground and including, towards the end of the day, a 50-kilometer stretch of dunes.

José Ignacio Cornejo’s riding had significantly improved from the previous days and this was reflected in the results. An error-free stage, with speed and deft navigation saw the rider reach the end of the special with the day’s second best time for a RallyGP rider, at 0’03 from the stage winner and leapfrogging two positions up the general standings.

Behind the young Chilean, American rider Ricky Brabec also turned out a satisfactory showing. The Monster Energy Honda Team rider, third on the RallyGP day class, was able to claw back several minutes from his closest rivals and, furthermore, regain the good sensations. Brabec finished 1’30” behind the day’s winner and moves up one position in the rankings. Pablo Quintanilla and Joan Barreda were lumbered with the troublesome task of opening the track this morning in the middle of a sandstorm. At the end of the interrupted stage, race authorities are still weighing up different options on how to classify the riders who had finished and to decide what to do with the rest of the riders involved. Quintanilla and Barreda were, nonetheless, able to make it through to the end of the special. Quintanilla and Barreda both remain in contention for the overall race victory. However, Joan suffered a fall and the Spaniard is still unsure whether he will be 100% fit to battle for another stage win. In tomorrow’s stage, the Chilean and the Spaniard will start from behind and will attempt to make up the time dropped today.

• Mixed Fortunes for Husqvarna Factory Racing on Dakar Stage Five

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has delivered a strong performance on a demanding stage five of the 2022 Dakar Rally to claim a 10th place finish. Continuing to put in strong, consistent stage results, the young Argentinian moves himself further up the rally standings to sit 18th overall with just one day to go ahead of the mid-race rest day. Showing great speed on the 341-kilometer special, Skyler Howes unfortunately suffered a crash towards the end of the stage. Although able to complete the special as the ninth fastest rider, he was then taken to hospital for medical checks. Sadly, the American rider will take no further part in the race.

Stage five of the Dakar challenged riders with 341 kilometers of mixed terrain and some extremely tricky navigation. Setting off fifth into the special, thanks to his solid result on Wednesday’s stage four, Luciano Benavides was immediately able to chase down and pass the two rivals ahead of him. With the pace high, the FR 450 Rally rider continued to push while also focusing on not making any small errors on the rocky tracks that made up the majority of the stage.

I’ve finished stage five and it was a really tricky day on the whole with some difficult navigation and some small issues towards the end. I started in fifth position and soon managed to catch and pass the two Sherco riders in front. After that there were only two riders left in front of me, and with the sandstorm that blew up halfway through the special, it was difficult to make them out, so I think I did a good job of navigating through the stage. I’m really happy with how the rally is going so far, it is frustrating that I lost an hour on day one, but since then my pace and navigation have been good, so I’m pleased with my progress. I’ll give my best again tomorrow and then I can enjoy the rest day. - Luciano Benavides

Improving his position as the stage went on; Luciano was able to successfully navigate through a particularly tricky section that caught out many of the other competitors. From there he entered the final section of rolling dunes and raced on towards the finish. Ultimately claiming 10th place, Benavides moves up to 18th in the provisional overall standings, just over one hour behind the race leader.

Skyler Howes had put in a superb performance on stage five, fighting his way through the field to post a time inside the top 10. However, a crash in the closing kilometers resulted in the American requiring medical checks at the local hospital. Although suffering no serious injuries, Skyler will play no further part in this year’s event.

• Strong Rides from Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders on Dakar Rally Stage Five

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Stage five of the 2022 Dakar Rally was anything but easy, featuring a true mix of terrain that challenged both Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders. Doing what they do, the GASGAS Factory Racing duo safely reached the end of the special to maintain their strong positions in the provisional overall classification. With five long and physically demanding stages now complete, Sam maintains his place at the top of the leaderboard thanks to a 12th place finish today while Daniel completed the special one spot behind in 13th to remain fourth in the general ranking.

Today started off really well and I was able to make up a lot of time before the fuel stop. Then at kilometer 270 I ended up passing the same waypoint twice, so I’m not sure if that was my mistake or not. After it happened I knew that I had to just push on to the end. Unfortunately, and also fortunately, I crashed and my shoulder popped out but luckily it went back in by itself and I was able to continue on to the finish. It was a crazy day and I’m glad to have reached the finish line. - Daniel Sanders

After his heavy fall yesterday, Sam Sunderland knew that he was in for a tough day of racing today. But knowing he needed to deliver a strong result to maintain his lead in the rally, the experienced Brit managed to ignore the neck and shoulder pain he was experiencing to bravely complete the fifth stage as the 12th fastest rider. Now, with just one stage to go before the event’s much needed rest day, Sam retains his place at the top of the overall timesheets.

I knew I was in for a tough day after my crash yesterday, so it was a case of survival mode for me today. It was difficult for sure but as the stage went on I felt better and better and had a nice, strong pace through the sand near the end. Besides my crash the race is going well so far. I’m still leading, which is great, but as we’ve seen there is some tricky navigation at times so it’s important to really focus on the roadbook and keep mistakes to a minimum. - Sam Sunderland

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For live timing and more official news, see Dakar.com.

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Must be sponsered by Tide® everyone looks so springtime freshly clean.