Joan Barreda has achieved the victory of the seventh stage of the Dakar, but all the alarms have been triggered after a fall in which he damaged his left knee: “We have come out squeezing very strong since the start of the special. After we had a heavy fall. I’ve left the track in a big hole and the bike I’ve dropped above. I have broken the knee safe because it is very unstable and I don’t get to put foot to earth. From that moment, I’ve loosened up because of the pain. Now let’s see what we can do tomorrow”.
With the results of the seventh stage, Adrien Van Beveren has been placed as the new leader of the motorcycle category: “My goal is to give everything in every stage and I am doing well. I have conducted with caution in order not to fall. In addition, I was able to open the gap, which is great. In the marathon stage had to avoid falling over everything. When the race gets technical I have an advantage because the bike is very easy to maneuver. Is fantastic to lead the Dakar“.
The rise of Van Beveren has left without leadership Kevin Benavides, despite its good performance: “Has been a hard day because from the kilometer 100, because I had to concentrate on the navigation and I think that has made me lose time. I have to work a little bit on the bike, in particular in the accelerator, which rotates. And I think I’ll also change the tires, but nothing major”.
For his part, Axel Dutrie has earned the victory in the quads: “I Am really happy to have won this special because this is my first time. I have had many mishaps of the previous days. there has been No day in which you did not have to do diy. Today, luckily, it has done me well. I’ve been stuck two or three times but I’ve also helped a bike out of a ravine. In general it has gone well. , I Thought I colaría in the ‘top 5’, but I never imagined that I would win“.
Carlos Sainz has achieved his second stage victory and unexpectedly the lead in the car category for the problems of Peterhansel: “Is still a very tough Dakar. What we are seeing all the time, that they are going through things and you have to survive. It has been a difficult stage. There is still a lot of race ahead to the finish, so there is that to take the race day by day. Stéphane was behind me, and suddenly, it has ceased to be protected. I attacked to the limit to win time, and I think I’m rolling at a very good pace“.
Giniel de Villiers has finished second in today’s stage: “it Has been harder than I thought, especially the first 120 kilometers, with a lot of camel grass and a sand very soft. There is always stay focused because anything can happen. There are still seven days of racing, and today, especially, had to take care of the car in the face of this marathon stage. In the end, if something happens, you can lose a lot but that many minutes”.
Nasser Al-Attiyah it has been shown again hopeful of being able to win the Dakar, having regard to the problems of Peterhansel: “Stéphane has because of having a problem. We, for our part, we had a lot of problems during the first week and we missed hours. Never before had lived a Dakar as well. There are still 7 days of racing, which is a lot. Anything can happen. Right now, we need to work on the car for the marathon stage. I Think we’ll only have to change the tires“.
Stéphane Peterhansel crossed the finish line with more than 1 hour and 45 minutes lost compared to Sainz, after living stations of the cross: “Filming for a big straight dotted with puddles. Had a quad bike stopped so I’ve digressed a little bit and dand soon I heard a tremendous impact. We lost all the rear-wheel drive, suspension, transmission, and shock absorbers. We have broken just. Then, we have canibalizado the car of Cyril; has taken us to 1:50 hours of mechanical work. I did not lose despite this the smile”.
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