Complete Dakar wrap from Stage 8 (Sunday)

2023 Dakar Rally – Stage 8
Al Duwadimi – Riyadh

Photographs by Rally Zone

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Stage 8 noticed riders return to competitors after the cancellation of stage 7. On Sunday riders lined 824 km, from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh, of which 346 km was timed particular.

The quick break in competitors had allowed Daniel Sanders to regain some energy and the Victorian was again on level to complete second on the stage.

Toby Worth was glad to complete the day in seventeenth. Worth had benefitted from bonus time because of driving up entrance from the beginning, however a one-minute penalty off-set a few of these features.

Navigation was proving notably difficult via the valleys and dunes of Stage 8.

For Sanders, it’s been a wild first week of racing on the Dakar to say the least, ranging from, affected by sickness however ending on a extremely constructive notice. Putting second and virtually capable of trip to his full potential, the Aussie charged via stage eight to ship what might be his most essential end result on the 2023 occasion, chopping virtually 12 minutes out of the present chief’s benefit rating benefit.

Daniel Sanders – P2

“Rattling it was fairly moist on the market this morning! For the blokes out first it should have been fairly dangerous, and navigating was robust due to the rain and sand on the goggles. However total, it’s been a superb day. I used to be lucky to get a little bit of a restoration day yesterday, and I used that point to get some relaxation and I used to be capable of preserve what I ate and drank down, so coming into right this moment issues have been so much higher. We’ve got one other relaxation day tomorrow, so I believe going into subsequent week we’ll be a lot nearer to 100% and I’m excited for week two now that I’m feeling much more like myself.”

Catching the 2 riders forward of him by round km 150, Toby Worth assisted in opening the tricky-to-navigate stage eight and is now trying ahead to the remaining day and the remaining six levels. Worth is fourth outright.

Toby Worth – P17

“I’m undoubtedly trying ahead to the remaining day now – time to loosen up and get sorted for the second week of racing. I misplaced a bit time right this moment driving up close to the entrance, however my total place remains to be first rate. Within the main group right this moment we have been leaving good tracks for the blokes behind to comply with, so it was inevitable that we might lose some minutes. The rocks have been super-slippery, too, which meant it was finest simply to ease off a bit fairly than danger a crash. A little bit of care now can repay so much by the tip of the race.”

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Ross Department wins Stage for Hero

Ross Department’s beautiful sprint to the end revitalised the morale of the Hero crew, ending the primary leg of the Rally on a excessive notice. Although Hero began effectively with a podium within the Prologue, and one other podium in Stage 2, the week took a troublesome flip with Joaquim Rodrigues crashing and exiting the race, and fairly a number of issues for Ross and Buhler in current levels.

Ross Department – P1

“It’s wonderful to be right here! We labored actually exhausting for it. It has been a troublesome week, and I’m actually glad to enter the remaining day with a Stage Win. This morning I felt actually good, the bike was wonderful, and I made a decision to push as exhausting as I might. It was a superb stage, the navigation was superb, and I totally loved it as I went all out and raced the entire thing! A giant thanks to the crew for all of the wonderful effort, and for not giving up on me. It’s a contented day, and hopefully we’ll collect some extra wins subsequent week!”

Behind Sanders was KTM-supported Mason Klein, who bounced again from a gasoline challenge that value him a number of minutes earlier within the week to initially publish the second-fastest time on right this moment’s stage. Nonetheless a two-minute penalty incurred for dashing dropped him down to 3rd for the stage and third total.

Prime Monster Vitality Honda Crew rider was Chilean Pablo Quintanilla in fourth place, adopted by Frenchman Adrian Van Beveren in fifth.

Pablo Quintanilla – P4

“We’ve got reached the remaining day after one other lengthy stage. I felt good alongside the best way and managed to trip at a superb velocity and rhythm. Circumstances have been actually exhausting with the chilly climate and the lengthy mileage of the levels making its impact on our fatigue. I believe now we’re in a superb place for the second week of the rally. It’s a undeniable fact that our class has advanced so much and the rhythm is spectacular however I really feel robust and decided to push even more durable within the days to return and assault.”

Adrien Van Beveren – P5

“This was one other good stage. I made a decision to assault from the beginning as a result of I knew it was a superb second to recuperate a while. It was not straightforward, particularly within the first half the place there have been loads of stones. Then we moved to quicker tracks and I continued at an ideal tempo. The end result is sweet and now I’m trying ahead to the beginning of the final week of this Dakar Rally. If I might, I might skip the remaining day and begin tomorrow as an alternative!”

Sebastian Buhler additionally made it in to the top-10 of Stage 8, ending within the sixth place, simply 8m behind Ross.

Sebastian Buhler – P6

“At this time was a enjoyable stage. It was fairly a quick stage with some rocks in between, however we did effectively. I’m proud of the end result right this moment, and content material with how the primary week has passed by. I had some issues in some levels, however in direction of the tip we’ve gathered some good stage outcomes – so I’m proud of how this primary leg has ended. Wanting ahead to the following week.”

Making the easiest use of his tenth place begin place, Matthias Walkner put in a stable trip to steadily transfer himself up the timesheets to finish the particular as eighth quickest. Regardless of the early damage to his wrist, the 2018 Dakar Winner continues to ship stage after stage of robust, constant rides.

Matthias Walkner – P8

“I gave my all right this moment on what was a super-tough stage. The navigation was tough, however I believe I did a superb job there. The place I’m struggling is the velocity over the quick rocky tracks – it’s exhausting to hold on and sustain the tempo I’d like. General although, I’m proud of my driving. Tomorrow’s relaxation day will give me a bit extra time to recuperate and construct my energy, then it’s on to the ultimate six levels and the end subsequent Sunday.”

Lorenzo Santolino had an ideal day and completed ninth simply 8m49s behind the stage winner, demonstrating he has the potential to complete within the prime 10 total subsequent week.

Lorenzo Santolino – P9

“This was a quick stage, the beginning was winding with loads of rocks for the primary 60 kilometers, it was foggy and the bottom was fairly slippery. Then the terrain turned sandier, with dune sections between 150 and 200 km. The tempo was good, however I most well-liked to be cautious within the dunes. On the pitstop I noticed that Department was going to meet up with me in the end, which he did at km 250 I had hassle following him , I assumed I might lose him, however the terrain modified and I managed to get nearer once more and it was superb for me, on the finish it was very dusty, I needed to again off and allowed a ways to open up between him and me in order to not fall. There have been a number of kilometers of dunes and immediately I got here to a drop off that I didn’t see, I had time to brake, however I jumped very excessive and I used to be actually fortunate, I damage my finger on the touchdown. It was harmful, I hope different riders didn’t leap there. I’m proud of the tempo, we completed the week near the highest 10 and tomorrow we’re going to have an actual relaxation day, not like yesterday, the place we appeared like we have been resting however in the long run, we did six hours on the bike.”

Fifth into the stage, Kevin Benavides initially misplaced a bit time over the primary 50 km or so, the place navigation was particularly technical. Nonetheless, remaining targeted, the Argentinian then received his head right down to push on for the rest of the particular. Combating his method again to inside the highest 10 on time, Kevin accomplished the stage in tenth.

Kevin Benavides – P10

“The stage went effectively for me right this moment. I used to be fortunate in that I began a bit method again because the stage would have been actually tough to open. We have been capable of slowly catch the blokes forward and that in flip meant that after refueling there was a giant group of us racing via the dunes to the end. I’m in second place total and now have the remaining day to recharge my batteries, so total, a superb first week.”

eleventh for the day was Martin Micheck, forward of Jose Cornejo, Stefan Svitko and Joan Barreda.

José Ignacio Cornejo – P12

“So we’ve concluded stage 8, it was a combined stage with many alternative sorts of terrain. I felt good in my Honda CRF 450 Rally and total It was a superb day. Now that we’ve reached the remaining day it’s time to recharge our batteries and prepare for an additional decisive week. I’ve some delay however I consider there’s nonetheless so much to occur on this Dakar and proceed to concentrate on climbing to the highest standings.”

Following on from their excellent Husqvarna Manufacturing unit Racing one-two on stage six of the 2023 Dakar Rally, Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides had the unenviable process of opening the timed particular on day eight – a stage the organisers promised to be one of many hardest to date when it comes to navigation. The FR 450 Rally mounted duo accomplished the stage in nineteenth and twenty first respectively, reflecting that problem, with Howes additionally choosing up a one-minute penalty.

Skyler Howes – P19

“A tricky day to open right this moment. We ended up driving in a gaggle of three on the entrance, and though I believe we did a very good job with the navigation, we took a short time to do it. The grime is actually moist, in order that leaves a superbly clear line for anybody following, and naturally it makes it far simpler to make up time on these forward. I’d fairly lose a couple of minutes than be going dwelling although, so total, I’m proud of how the day turned out and I’m nonetheless forward within the total. It’s relaxation day now, and that’s all the time an essential milestone to hit. We knew the primary half of this 12 months’s occasion can be robust, and it was! Time to loosen up a bit now earlier than specializing in the ultimate push to the end subsequent week.”

Luciano Benavides – P21

“At this time was a very tough day. It was all the time going to be tough to open a stage like right this moment, particularly after the dangerous climate and with such technical navigation. At this time was one of many hardest days to open, however I believe did a superb job from the entrance, I took my time and was cautious to not make any massive errors. Sadly with the sand prefer it was, the blokes behind have been actually capable of comply with the tracks in entrance of them and make up loads of time. Bodily, I’m feeling actually good, the bike has been nice all via this primary week, too. I’ll get some relaxation tomorrow after which purpose to push subsequent week and hopefully make up some locations on the race.”

Relaxation Day

Monday is time for the effectively deserved relaxation day on the Dakar Rally – it is going to be spent in Saudi Arabia capital Riyadh – so all riders can be transferred to a lodge and be capable to recuperate their vitality for an additional week of motion.

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Rider Rankings after Dakar Stage 8

With riders reaching the remaining day, Skyler Howes now holds the general Dakar Rally 2023 lead with seven levels accomplished and one cancelled, in 30h34m16s.

13-seconds behind Howes is Kevin Benavides and Mason Klein, with Aussie Toby Worth fourth 1m58s off the lead, after being a Stage 8 front-runner meant being a part of the main group trackling the primary problem of the day.

Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren are fifth and sixth, each slightly below three-minutes off the general lead.

Daniel Sanders made a powerful return to kind after sickness for Stage 8 and is now seventh 7m03s off the lead, with Joan Barreda in eighth 18s slower once more.

It’s then a bigger cap to ninth positioned Jose Cornejo, 19m32s off the lead, with tenth positioned Matthias Walkner 22m35s off.

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Stage 8 Highlights Video

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2023 Dakar Rally Stage Outcomes (Provisional)

2023 Dakar Rally General After Stage 8 (Provisional)

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2023 Dakar Rally Schedule

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