Yesterday the competitors enjoyed a well-deserved rest day, it was time to prepare for the six remaining stages, but unlike the first half of the rally in which they covered 3092 kilometers against the clock, for this second part, the special stages will be much shorter, 1220 kilometers timed, but shorter does not mean they are easier, we will see what surprises the remaining stages have in store for us.
Today's stage, the ninth, consisted of 686 kilometers from Riyadh to Haradh, with 328 kilometers of liaison and 358 kilometers of special stage. In the beginning, it consisted of riverbeds and canyons, then entering a stretch of dunes. It was a fast stage, but with complex navigation that caused several riders to get lost looking for a waypoint. In addition, the rains of the last few days had left some sections of the special with a lot of water.
Daniel Nosiglia started very strong, with a high racing pace, enjoying his time between the dunes and placing himself among the top ten riders, although a fall that caused the electric starter to break, slowed him down in his ascent. In the end, Nosiglia reached the finish line in 22nd position and 27th in the provisional general classification, up one place. A last-minute penalty of one minute for speeding makes the Bolivian rider drop to 26th place in the stage, but he remains 27th in the general ranking.
Patricio Cabrera, who continues to be very consistent and highly motivated, overcomes the pitfalls of today's navigation, finishes the ninth stage in the 39th position, and again climbs a step in the provisional general classification, standing in 42nd place.
For Diego Llanos, the stage has been to his liking and without complications, which has been noticed in the results: 25th overall and 9th in Rally2. The Argentinean wants to reach the end of the rally trying to achieve good stage results and he is succeeding.
Daniel Nosiglia:
"It has been a nice stage, starting with lots and lots of dunes, I found myself going at a very fast pace riding between them, I was doing very well, fighting for the top ten of the classification, but then I had a small fall where the electric starter broke. It took me a long time to start again, but I'm happy to be back here in one piece in this ninth stage. Tomorrow we enter the famous Empty Quarter and the truth is I'm very motivated to get to know this new place."
Patricio Cabrera:
"The stage was very fast, entertaining, there was a difficult part of navigation but I enjoyed it very much, I'm having a great time in this Dakar rally. This was the last long stage and from now on they are going to be a little shorter. So I'm happy to have arrived healthy and now I have to prepare the bike for tomorrow".
Diego Llanos:
"Today was a very nice stage, I liked it, the end was a bit fast, at the beginning it was a bit hard for me, but I got comfortable and well, I was able to finish 25th. Tomorrow we will do another smart stage, we will take advantage of the fact that we are a bit further back. So I'm happy because I arrived safe and sound and with the bike in one piece."
Tomorrow's stage, Haradh - Shaybah, 624 kilometers of route, 510 kilometers of endless liaison, and a short special of 114km full of dunes, this tenth stage will go into the deepest part of the Empty Quarter...
*It is important to note that due to last minute changes made by the organization, the classifications may differ from the ones published here.
