In fact, this first stage was only a warning of what was to come, as the participants then faced stage 2 of the 48-hour time trial, with more than 900 kilometres to cover in two days, overcoming small, very soft sand dunes, where it was easy to sink into them and lose time, until 17:00 local time, the time to stop at one of the 6 camps, and with the bare minimum, maintain the bike, eat something and sleep in the open air. At sunrise, the 300-kilometre stage was completed before returning to the bivouac with the rest of the Rieju Pedregà Team.
Stage 3 headed north towards Al Henakiyah, with 352 kilometres of liaison and some 495 kilometres of special stage, although it was shortened due to adverse weather conditions to 327 km timed. The race started in a tricky area with large stones and fesh fesh, which made it difficult to pass, so it was necessary to be very attentive, and ended with a faster navigation area until the finish.
The best classified of the day among the Rieju Pedregà Team riders was once again Dani Nosiglia, who used his technique and good race pace, despite suffering problems with his tablet, which failed during the day and he was unable to follow the navigation correctly. Despite this, he finished the stage in a positive 24th position in the general standings. After these three days, he is now in 25th place provisionally in the general standings.
For his part, Marc Calmet found his team-mate Josep Pedró on the ground at the start of the special, and after checking that he was fine he continued, but with the logical lack of concentration due to the situation. When trying to overtake a rider, Marc hit a rock and damaged his arm and a rib. Despite this, he continued to be regular, finishing in 63rd position of the day and after these stages he is 54th in the general standings.
Worse luck for Josep Pedró, who is suffering a lot in this Dakar. After the failure of his bike in the first stage in which he had to abandon, once the breakdown was found and repaired by the mechanics of the team, he rejoined the competition, but without options regarding the general classification. Unfortunately today, shortly after starting the route, at around kilometre 5, he suffered a heavy fall. Despite the severe pain, Pedró got up and managed to reach the bivouac in 91st position. He then went to visit the organisation's midwife, as he was not feeling well. Once his condition was checked, Josep suffered a double rib fracture with a risk of lung perforation. After assessing the situation, with the risk involved in continuing in the race, he has decided to abandon the race definitively. The whole Rieju Pedregà Team family sends him our best wishes.
Daniel Nosiglia:
‘I think it was a fairly positive stage, I had problems at kilometre 127 with the tablet, it got stuck, I didn't have any commands, I rode the whole stage without a roadbook following tracks, in many places I got lost too, I tried to find the ideal route. In spite of everything, it was a very good day, I felt quite fast, at the beginning there were a lot of rocks, so I was a bit careful, but especially in the last part I pushed hard’.
Marc Calmet:
‘It wasn't an extremely hard stage, but at the beginning of the special I met Josep on the ground, I stopped for a moment to see how he was, he told me to continue. The first part was all fesh fesh, with a lot of dust, a lot of stones and when I tried to overtake I ran into a stone, I hit my arm and a rib and in the end I finished as I could. The truth is that it was also a hard day with 350km of road... So it was tough’.
Josep Pedró:
‘Right now I can't even say the words, I'm freezing to death. Today I had a very bad time, at kilometre 5 I had a fall, I fell backwards and now we'll go to the doctor to see what I have, I feel a sensation like a broken bone and it hurts a lot. I wouldn't recommend today's experience to anyone, it was very hard. The stage was also complicated, there were a lot of stones, stones hidden in the sand, I didn't feel comfortable at any time, I guess the pain I was carrying didn't help either, so now I need to go to the doctor, at least they can tell me what I have and make a decision, because I've suffered a lot’.
Once visited by the media, Josep informs us:
‘I imagined I had something broken as I was in a lot of pain, they have confirmed that I have two fractured ribs, one of them with displacement and the problem is the risk that I could puncture a lung if I continue like this. The truth is that I'm in a lot of pain and it's very difficult to ride the bike, so it doesn't make much sense, so I've decided to stop’.
Stage 4
Tomorrow is the fourth stage of the Dakar 2025, Al Henakiyah - Alula, with a 173-kilometre liaison and a 415-kilometre special stage. A very technical marathon stage, with volcanic terrain and majestic canyons, where the riders and drivers will have to take care of their mechanics, as assistance is not allowed in the bivouac.
