As Stage 12 of the 2023 Dakar Rally started, it requested a easy however essential query of the rivals: Would their marathon stage methods maintain up? Yesterday’s Stage 11 was half one in all a marathon stage—which means, after the riders accomplished stage 11, mechanics wouldn’t be touching the bikes to get them ready for stage 12. Technique in planning every group’s marathon efforts is vital.
Stage 12 noticed Toby Value take an early lead by the primary timing checkpoint at kilometer 42. Since Luciano Benavides received Stage 11, he was the primary to begin—however he was quickly handed up by each Value and fellow Aussie, Daniel Sanders.
Right here’s the place you begin to see the variations between seasoned Dakar rivals and rookies. Amazingly, by the 42-kilometer checkpoint, Adrien Van Beveren managed to get the provisional fifth-best time. As he was the seventeenth rider to begin, although, there can be extra coming after him—however the starting of the stage appeared to level towards a constructive final result for the skilled rider.
In the meantime, RallyGP-class rookie Mason Klein completed stage 11 in twenty seventh place, nearly a full 20 minutes behind stage winner Luciano Benavides. Distinction AVB’s efficiency with Klein’s on the 42-kilometer mark, and the latter was already a full 5 minutes off of provisional stage chief Toby Value’s tempo. Nonetheless, you reside and also you study, and people of us who’ve by no means performed a Dakar will most likely by no means absolutely perceive precisely how true that’s on this circumstance.
By the 87-kilometer checkpoint, Toby Value was nonetheless within the lead on the time sheet, adopted carefully by his teammate, Kevin Benavides. Nevertheless, as ever, issues change—and by the 128-kilometer checkpoint, Nacho Cornejo was sitting on prime of the time chart, adopted so as by Kevin Benavides and Toby Value.
At 156 kilometers, after all of the timing bonuses have been utilized for the stage openers, Toby Value got here out in entrance with nearly a complete minute lead (59 seconds, when you should know) over Skyler Howes, who sat in second place, and teammate Kevin Benavides in third. All three of the highest riders at this level have been inside two minutes of one another, with the trailing riders considerably additional again. In the long run, although, it was Nacho Cornejo who got here via to take the stage win, which was his first of the 2023 Dakar Rally.
Listed below are the highest 10 finishers and their occasions on stage 12 of the 2023 Dakar Rally:
| Rider | Group | Time |
| Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (CHL) | Monster Power Honda Group | 1 hour, 57 minutes, 27 seconds |
| Daniel Sanders (AUS) | Pink Bull GASGAS Manufacturing facility Racing | 1 hour, 58 minutes, 16 seconds |
| Toby Value (AUS) | Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing | 1 hour, 59 minutes, 25 seconds |
| Matthias Walkner (AUT) | Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing | 1 hour, 59 minutes, 32 seconds |
| Kevin Benavides (ARG) | Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing | 1 hour, 59 minutes, 49 seconds |
| Skyler Howes (USA) | Husqvarna Manufacturing facility Racing | 2 hours, 0 minutes, 21 seconds |
| Pablo Quintanilla (CHL) | Monster Power Honda Group | 2 hours, 0 minutes, 33 seconds |
| Sebastian Bühler (DEU) | Hero MotoSports Group Rally | 2 hours, 0 minutes, 35 seconds |
| Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) | Monster Power Honda Group | 2 hours, 0 minutes, 43 seconds |
| Ross Department (BWA) | Hero MotoSports Group Rally | 2 hours, 0 minutes, 48 seconds |
The ultimate outcomes of Stage 12 additionally noticed Toby Value take the general lead within the bike class, with a spot of simply 28 seconds to now-second-place-sitter Skyler Howes. Kevin Benavides lies third, with a time that’s two minutes and 40 seconds down on Value’s. Simply two levels stay within the 2023 Dakar Rally, so how will all of it play out?
