Ignacio Cornejo wins the Stage, Toby Price takes the lead of the Rally for the first time. The duel that is looming is incredible, probably to be played on pure speed. All the Italians at the finish line, Paolo Lucci 17th overall
January 13, 2023
Shaybah, January 13. Frankly I am perplexed. Another stage blown up in less than two hours. 185 kilometers at an average of nearly 95 kilometers per hour. In such a short time there is neither a coffee nor, if you look closely, a less than important fall. It is the sprint of a compact flock, and in fact at Shayba’s finish line in five minutes there are twenty. Very strong, and very beautiful, is the sensation that once again on this third sprint through the Empty Quarter, i Pilots we had a lot of funwho have found in it one of the strong sensations of the sense of the Dakar: the feeling of crossing.
Plateaus and dune ridges, chott and dunes, flats and dunes. A sequence repeated several times in alternating the gas thoroughly to go fast and to “climb”so as not to get trapped. Cee said it right away Paul Luccithe strongest of ours and strong, always stronger, really, who enjoyed running almost the entire Stage together with Ross Branch. Beyond one of those crests Paolo found one cut duneand his heart went into his throat, then he checked, he let himself slip and off, on another. Paul Lucci, 19° upon returning to the “infamous” bivouac of Shayba, by now he travels in the platoon of those who “have fun”. Nice thing to know how to ride a motorcycle like this. Bad thing, by the way, we’ll update you if the Moto crashes and it’s over there, like it happened to Eufrasio Anghileri stopped at the Empty Quarter entrance two days ago. Anghileri is in Shayba, today he will decide what to do.
It’s another stage that doesn’t solve the Dakar 2023 puzzle. It doesn’t even help to come close. On the contrary, the solution remains hermetic, perfectly waterproof. Special with a well-known dynamic. On the one hand, the trailblazers, on the other those who detach the times. After Luciano Benavidesbut less than a hundred kilometers away Daniel Sanders she already hung up on him. Toby Price, Kevin Benavides, Skyler Howes fastest. Trailblazer bonus for the entire Special. The rhythm in the lead soars vertiginously, Sanders is irrepressible. He continues to push and in the finale of Speciali he even tries to leave with the loot full. It almost succeeds.
ignacio cornejo gets the lowest time and wins the 12th Special. The Chilean from the official Honda team didn’t see much but was always present in support of the team. Daniel Sandersfantastic in the double role of forerunner and… pursuer, finishes in second place, fifty seconds behind the winner and one minute behind the third classified, Toby Price. All the others follow suit, starting with Walkner, Benavides, Howes. All the Italians at the finish lineapart from Lucci all shelled after the 50th place, Fanottoli, Zacchetti, Picco, Giraldi and Missoni.
Inscrutable Dakar. Toby Price, KTM, takes the lead in the Rally. for the Australian it is the first time, in this edition. Skyler HowesHusqvarna, is second at less than half a minute, read 28 seconds. Kevin Benavides he is third at less than 3 minutes. Now a quarter of an hour behind the chasing squad made up of Pablo Quintanilla, Adrien Van Beveren, Luciano Benavides. There are 290 kilometers left until the end of the games, divided into the last two specials. Few to think of possible upheavals. However Price and Howes were, together with Kevin Benavides, consistently the fastest and most incisive throughout the Race. Not even a perspective based on the starting order of the 13th and second to last one helps much. Toby Price part disadvantaged, but he will have Daniel Sanders in front of him, very happy to give him a hand to pulverize another stage. Kevin Benavides e Skyler Howes, on the other hand, have a whole bunch of flyers clearing the Desert before them. Who knows if at the bivouac of Al Hofuf it will finally be possible to find out more!
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