Monster Energy Honda’s Joan Barreda became the first rider to win more than one stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally yesterday as the rally completed its final day in Bolivia., but the teams will now have to wait until tomorrow before returning to competition after Stage 9 was canceled this morning.
Continued thunderstorms caused a landslide along the route the rally route this morning, and the area’s residents have been forced to deal with a serious emergency involving major damage. Rally organizers have are aiding in the rescue effort. As a result of being cut off, the entire rally field was rerouted to San Antonio de los Cobres, extending the distance of the liaison section by about 200 kilometers.
Yesterday’s Stage 8 marked the second day of the two-day marathon stage, running from La Paz to Uyuni, Bolivia. The stage was shortened by 72 kilometers due to a flooded river crossing in Bolivia. The racers faced two timed-sections, one covering 174 kilometers in Bolivia and the other covering 246 kilometers in Argentina. Barreda bested the 110 remaining motorcycle competitors, skillfully negotiating the muddy route to post a winning time of 4 hours, 28 minutes and 21 seconds.
“The first kilometers were really dangerous with a lot of mud, a lot of water and a lot of fog without visibility,” Barreda said. “We needed to take care on this part, but after that the pace was higher and I really had fun over the last three hundred kilometers. I was pushing and over the last kilometers the tires were more tired, so it was more slippery, but in the end I was fine. I’ve worked a lot for this rally so I will try to push until the last kilometer.”
Red Bull KTM teammates Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland were Barreda’s closest pursuers in Stage 8, with the Austrian and former FIM Cross-Country Rallies Champion finishing second, just under 30 seconds ahead of his British teammate, who continues to lead the rally overall with nearly 21 minutes in the bank. Sunderland’s advantage may only become more impactful as two stages have now been canceled.
“It started off really muddy this morning,” Sunderland said. “It was really, really wet and really difficult to pass in some places. I stopped a few times to change my goggles and change my gloves and silly things, just because it was too much. I couldn’t see the roadbook. I couldn’t see where I was going. I figured it would be better to stop and change my goggles and then carry on, rather than trying to push when you can’t see. It’s been a long stage. The second part was going good, but then it was a bit frustrating. I was crossing a river full of stones and I managed to clip the rear disk and bent the disk, so for the last one hundred kilometers I had no rear brake, which makes things a little bit interesting on a surface like this, a kind of WRC-style hard-pack that was really slippery. I had a few scary moments with the braking, but I tried to keep in mind that I had no rear brake. Sure, I lost a bit of time there, but I’m just trying to finish each day safe. I think you win [the Dakar Rally] on the bad days, not on the good days.”
American Monster Energy rider Ricky Brabec also had a “long day” in Stage 8 after his thrilling win in Stage 7 on Monday. After opening the road, Brabec finished 12th, nearly 12 minutes behind Barreda.
“Today was long, and this morning was rough,” Brabec said. “The fog was so bad that you couldn’t see more than two meters ahead of you. That played a big part in trying to open the stage. The rain over the last few days had completely washed away the tracks. It was difficult for sure. I went down in the sand, trying to clean my goggles. You’ve got to clean your goggles every thirty seconds to get vision. Paulo [Goncalves] was next to me, and we rode together and had fun. It was a long day.”
2017 Dakar Rally
La Paz, Bolivia, to Uyuni, Bolivia
Results: January 10, 2017 (Stage 8 of 12)
Stage 8
1. Joan Barreda (ES)-Monster Energy Honda/4 hours, 28 minutes, 21 seconds
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM/+00:03:51
3. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-Red Bull KTM/+00:03:54
4. Michael Metge (FRA)-Monster Energy Honda/+00:04:25
5. Joan Pedrero (ESP)-Sherco TVS Rally Factory/+00:06:00
6. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Monster Energy Honda/+00:07:06
7. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna/+00:07:07
8. Pela Renet (FRA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna/+00:09:26
9. Xavier De Soultrait (FRA)-Viltais Racing Team HFP Yamaha/+00:09:31
10. Gerard Farres (ESP)-Himoinsa Team KTM/+00:09:42
12. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda/+00:11:41
2017 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 8 of 12 stages)
1. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-Red Bull KTM/22 hours, 1 minutes, 8 seconds
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna/+00:20:58
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha/+00:28:49
4. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally/+00:34:14
5. Gerard Farres (ESP)-Himoinsa Team KTM/+00:34:24
6. Xavier De Soultrait (FRA)-Viltais Racing Team HFP Yamaha/+00:50:10
7. Pela Renet (FRA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna/+01:08:09
8. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Monster Energy Honda/+01:08:34
9. Joan Barreda (ESP)-Monster Energy Honda/+01:10:53
10. Joaquim Rodrigues (POR)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally/+01:36:00
12. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda/+01:52:31
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