Joan Barreda, second this Wednesday, fourth in the basic classification of the Dakar Rally 15 minutes behind the first, didn’t cease yesterday at the finish of the first a part of the particular. It ought to have stopped at kilometer level 174, completely signposted, but it surely didn’t. And he didn’t replenish his Honda tank. He had drifted off beam and was concentrating on the GPS when he handed the refueling level. It didn’t really feel good. Though, regardless of the whole lot, he set the greatest time at kilometer 215. The truth is, the 12-minute distance he saved together with his Honda companion, Ricky Brabec, augured a superb finish of the race for the Spaniard, who he aspired, at the very least, to the closing podium this Friday. Nothing is farther from actuality.
These 12 minutes that he had gassed out shortly vanished. At kilometer 267 of the particular BaRreda ran out of gasoline. Dazed and disoriented, he stood for greater than two hours till he lastly made the choice to give up.
Two days earlier than he had fallen and was unconscious for a couple of moments, though he recovered with some ease and accomplished a powerful stage. Similar as Wednesday. Nonetheless, that hit took its toll 48 hours later. When he assumed his mistake, Torreblanca, 37, requested the help of the medical crew, who evacuated him by helicopter. Hours later he underwent a medical check-up at Yanbu hospital, from the place he was transferred to Jeddah hospital to spend one other 48 hours beneath remark.
“Though a significant issue shouldn’t be initially noticed after a trauma, generally what is named diffuse axonal harm happens, which explains that neuronal harm can happen regardless of the absence of bleeding. This suggests that the buildings of the mind don’t work completely, which causes the individual to be disoriented and confused. It may be noticed after 48 hours, when the irritation is extra evident as a consequence of the blow, ”says Javier Sotoca, a neurology specialist at the Mútua Terrassa Hospital.
Worst suspicions confirmed:
Joan Barreda is carrying a 2-day previous head harm which contributed to him lacking right now’s refueling and operating dry. Very scary and glad he’s in the proper place now. # Dakar2021 pic.twitter.com/VbixSPyDPe– DakarFlash (@FlashDakar) January 14, 2021
This Thursday’s stage, the penultimate of a Dakar that has been contested at breakneck speeds on slim and harmful tracks, filled with stones and huge rocks, had been introduced as one among the most troublesome of the race. It was initially the longest particular of the Dakar 2021, however the rains of the final days close to the vacation spot, in Yanbu, led the race management to lower the closing 50 kilometers, so that as an alternative of 511 km of timed they had been disputed about 461. Barreda, who longed for the dunes of this stage, the place he likes to squeeze his velocity and method, and the place he aspired to climb some extra place in the basic classification, was left midway.
His abandonment places a greater than bittersweet crowning glory to this version, which all the time contested the assault, with well being and perseverance – one thing that had not occurred for years – and through which he reached the not inconsiderable determine of 27 stage victories that positioned him amongst the three most profitable riders in the motorbike class.
With Barreda out of the equation, it was Benavides (Honda) who bought the most out of the day. The third-placed Argentine managed to improve his general benefit over his teammate Brabec by greater than seven minutes. In fact, the victory of Sam Sunderland (KTM) raised him to second place in the desk, 4 minutes away, which leaves the Dakar in the arms of three riders separated by lower than eight minutes.
Peterhansel, the quiet chief
The stage in automobiles didn’t deliver huge surprises. Sooner or later earlier than the finish of the Dakar Rally, the all the time calm Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini) resists the stalking of the very quick Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota). The Frenchman, who defended himself in opposition to the Qatari assault on a stage with nearly 100 kilometers of dunes, may win the race this Friday, 30 years after his first victory.
The stage victory went to Al-Attiyah, who doesn’t hand over till his automobile reaches the end line in the huge metropolis of Jeddah on Friday. However Peterhansel didn’t decelerate. He got here to the finish of the particular slightly below two minutes behind his rival, who has been scratching him minutes in the previous couple of days till he was 15 minutes behind Monsieur Dakar in the basic classification earlier than the 12th and closing stage.
The Spanish Carlos Sainz (Mini) continues in his line of latest days. Off the hook from the title struggle, the 2020 champion runs without taking his foot off the fuel, however, in flip, without committing loopy issues. Agency and assured, he completed the stage in third place, simply over two minutes behind Al-Attiyah. And he aspires to affirm his third place on the podium.
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