Walkner, who was rarely the fastest rider from stage to stage. He claimed just one win in the 12 stages that were run (two motorcycle stages were cancelled during the 14-stage, two-week-long race), but it proved to be the one that will forever tell the story of his win. It was during Stage 10 that the former FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion would move into an insurmountable lead by carefully navigating a precarious stage while many of his closest competitors got lost. The only man in Walkner’s league at that point was Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally’s Adrien Van Beveren, and when the Frenchman suffered a high-speed crash just a few miles from the finish of the stage and had to withdraw with multiple serious injuries, the 2018 Dakar Rally effectively became Walkner’s to lose.

That didn’t happen. Walkner was able to celebrate his first career Dakar Rally win while KTM celebrated its 17th consecutive Dakar Rally win as a manufacturer, an amazing string to be sure.

“It’s really, really amazing,” said Walkner, who finished eighth in Stage 14 but ended the event with a total time of 43 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second, leaving him an advantage of 16 minutes and 53 seconds over runner-up Kevin Benavides. “I was never thinking that I really could win. The goal was to stay on the podium, but it was so close this year, and day 10 was a key day. Maybe luck was on my side this time, but it’s really a dream come true. It was a really crazy Dakar. The riding level was so high. There were five other people who could have won it, but it looks like I was the lucky one. I was surely a little bit lucky. I think that on the Dakar you need a bit of luck on, but sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t have it. This time it was on my side. In 2016 after my bad injury, that changed a lot for me. It’s so cool to be back here.”

Second overall went to Kevin Benavides, who won the final stage with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 41 seconds, outrunning close rival and Red Bull KTM rider Toby Price by 54 seconds to remain 6 minutes and 8 seconds ahead of the 2016 Dakar Rally Champion at the finish. Benavides finished strong in Argentina, much to the delight of his countrymen. Along the way, he held the overall lead after Stage 6.

“I feel amazing,” Benavides said. “This sensation for me is incredible. To win is my dream, so I touched it a little bit. We need to continue pushing and pushing for next year. Now I know I can do it, so I’ll continue preparing and try to do it.”

There’s little question that Price will no doubt be pushing hard again next year. But for his massive navigational error along with much of the field in Stage 10, the Australian might have been knocking on the door of his second Dakar Rally win. But as he said since that day, that’s how it goes, and he still had to be pleased with his third-place finish after being unable to defend his Dakar Rally title in the 2017 edition due to an injury.

“Three podiums is really amazing,” Price said. “After the year I had, it’s a dream come true, for sure. It was rough, but with 12 months under our belt we’ll be ready to go for the next one. I didn’t even expect this finish. A lot of people didn’t even expect me to be at the start line. I knew I’d be at the start line, but I didn’t know what shape I would be in. Twelve weeks ago it was looking pretty grim. Six weeks ago I started training and riding. It’s a steep curve again. I seem to enjoy these steep curves to get back to where I need to be. It’s never any fun, but we’re really happy to be here and get a third place. Every time I’ve crossed the finishing line and made it to the end, I’ve been on the podium, so I’m really happy with this. I’m already looking forward to the next one. To have 12 months off and not do any road-books, navigation or any races at all and then come straight back into the biggest race of the year… on the toughest one in years as well.

“This is the fourth one I’ve started, and this has been the toughest one of the lot,” Price continued. “They’re definitely not making it any easier on us. We were just trying to get through and do what we can. The new bike that KTM have come up with is an amazing bit of equipment. I think that’s what has made the job a little bit easier for me. I’ve got the beach body now to head back home to Australia and lie on the beach for two weeks solid. But then we’ll get back to training, hook in and come back. Hopefully it will be bigger and better things next year.”

2018 Dakar Rally
Stage 14: Cordoba, Argentina
Results: January 20, 2018 (Stage 14 of 14)

Stage 14
1. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / 1 hour 26 minutes, 41 seconds
2. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:00:54
3. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:02:48
4. Daniel Oliveras (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:03:25
5. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +00:04:19
6. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +00:05:01
7. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:05:23
8. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:05:38
9. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:07:57
10. Juan Pedrero (SPA)-Sherco TVS Rally Factory / 00:10:53

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 14 of 14 stages)
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 43 hours, 6 minutes, 1 second
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:16:53
3. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:23:01
4. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:47:28
5. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +01:01:04
6. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +01:53:53
7. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +02:22:52
8. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +02:24:05
9. Daniel Oliveras (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +02:37:20
10. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +02:42:36

The post 2018 Dakar Rally Stage 14: Matthias Walkner Wins the Dakar Rally! appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Today’s stage featured two different timed specials totalling 424 kilometers. The first was a mix of sand, vegetation and river beds, while the second also threw-in a stint in the Argentinan dunes. Price, who won Stage 12 did his best to pull time on Benavides, but despite finishing the gruelling timed specials with a winning pace of 4 hours, 48 minutes and 33 seconds, the 2016 Dakar Rally Champion was only able to make up a little more than 2 minutes on the hard-riding Argentinian rider, and he finished the day 5 minutes and 14 seconds behind Benavides in the overall standings.

“Very, very good. It’s good to get the stage out of the way,” Price said. “All the day went really well. This morning we had a couple of tricky bits, but it was a good fast track with really rough sections, so I pushed pretty hard there and made a little bit of time. I’m not to sure about the last bit, but we made a few small mistakes and went off track a bit. I felt good, I pushed hard and I made it to the finishing line so I’m happy. I was trying to win both the stage and second place. For sure, it’s nice to try and get stage wins.

“Coming to the end of the week and almost to the finish, I need to try and get some wins and try and get some time back,” Price continued. “Unfortunately, I made that big mistake a few days ago and that’s cost me a lot. That’s just the way it is. We’re just trying to claw back as much as we can and show everybody that we’ve got good speed. The navigation was not so bad today. It was good, but there were a lot of speed zones in this second part. You had to be pretty careful and precise to make sure you don’t do any over-speeding. We had a couple of off-track excursions but other than this the stage went really well and we navigated well the whole day. Hopefully that’s taken some time back for us, so we’ll see. It would be nice to beat Kevin. That’s the aim and the goal but Kevin’s riding really well, really strongly and really fast at the moment. He’s a little guy, so the bike’s got really good top-speed, so I’ll have to try and beat him on corner-speed. We’re just trying to mow down as much time as we can and fingers crossed it gets us into second, but if not 12 weeks ago I would have laughed and said I wouldn’t have been here on the starting line and if anyone said I was going to maybe try and push for a podium finish I definitely would have laughed pretty hard then. We’ll see… It would be nice to try and get onto the second step. At the moment, third is not looking too bad, but it’s not over yet.”

Benavides was content that he rode well enough to not only keep Price at Bay but to also take 9 minutes off of overall leader Matthias Walkner, who, barring catastrophe, should win the 2018 Dakar Rally with plenty of room to spare. Walkner finished just behind teammate Antoine Meo in Stage 13, and he was just over 11 minutes behind Price, but the Austrian is still 22 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of Benavides with just the final short stage around Cordoba separating Walkner from his first career Dakar Rally win.

“Today I rode a good stage, which was hard, but where I had a lot of fun on the sand tracks,” Benavides said. “I had a minor fall, but I pushed hard and was able to take some time back the leader. Tomorrow I will go out and try to ride an intelligent race. We are going to try to take it carefully because there are several dangers and you can’t mess around.”

Unfortunately for Monster Energy Honda and American rally fans, Ricky Brabec had to call an end to his 2018 Dakar Rally campaign after he was unable to finish the first special due to an electrical problem. Brabec came into the day sixth overall, and was hoping to end the 2018 Dakar Rally with his best finish to date in the Dakar. It just wasn’t to be.

“It was very unfortunate on the penultimate day for me to have an electric issue and they forced me to quit, as they only gave me an hour to get moving again,” Brabec said. “We’ll just have to keep working hard towards next year. I’m sorry to all friends and fans whom I haven’t been able to keep up to date recently. Thank you all very much for the support.”

While he had a tough day, fellow American Andrew Short is on the cusp of finishing his maiden Dakar Rally with a top-20 overall finish. Short posted the 37th fastest time in Stage 13, but he remains 17th overall.

“Today was tough, really tough,” Short said. “The stage was so long, and at this point in the rally it was especially tiring. The beginning of the special was really soft, and it was difficult to get a good rhythm going. The later half was on much faster tracks, and it was flat out for a lot of the way. I didn’t push too hard because a crash there would have been pretty extreme. I’m happy to get to the finish, and now, with only one day left, I’m looking forward to completing my first Dakar Rally.”

As for Walkner, just 120 kilometers now separate him from the glory of winning the 2018 Dakar Rally.

“I just tried to do nothing crazy [in Stage 13],” Walkner said. “I know it was a really, really long day and the guys in the back were pushing like hell. I had a good heading, and I didn’t want to be too nervous. I just tried to be focused on the stage and do my best. There is quite a big gap, but it can change so quickly. We’ve seen this today and before, if you have a technical problem and you get a bit lost. It can change really, really quickly, but at the moment it does not look so bad for me. I tried to just do nothing crazy, because in the end the race is over 14 days, and it is not stage by stage. It’s the fastest overall who will win, so I didn’t want to risk so much, because it was quite a long day and a dangerous day for going fast, because there were big rocks on the side. It was a good day, I think. There is still one day more to go, it’s really crazy to think otherwise. A lot of things can still happen. Twenty minutes on the last day is the same as twenty minutes on the second or third day. We have 120 kilometers left to go, so I’m going to stay focused on it and try my best.”

2018 Dakar Rally
Stage 13: San Juan, Argentina, to Cordoba, Argentina
Results: January 19, 2018 (Stage 13 of 14)

Stage 13
1. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 4 hours, 48 minutes, 33 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:02:03
3. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:02:44
4. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:11:32
5. Joan Pedrero (SPA)-Sherco TVS Rally Factory / +00:15:12
6. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +00:16:10
7. Armand Monleon (SPA)-Daming Racing Team / +00:21:31
8. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +00:21:54
9. Jonathan Barragán (SPA)-Gas Gas Racing / +00:22:11
10. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:23:34

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 13 of 14 stages)
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 41 hours, 33 minutes, 42 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:22:31
3. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:27:45
4. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:50:17
5. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +01:01:19
6. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +01:54:12
7. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +02:06:49
8. Oriol Mena Oriol (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +02:23:29
9. Daniel Oliveras Daniel (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +02:39:33
10. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +02:40:17

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The decision actually came down last night, leaving the riders to move out of Fiambalá to the next bivouac in San Juan. At first, the call was simply to cancel the first part of the timed special stage after the helicopters that help to keep the competitors safe were grounded due to fog. It was also determined that the river crossings were flooded due to heavy rains. The race was the expected to resume with the second section of timed special after the liasion section to Chilecito and then Section B. Race organizers then decided to postpone the motorcycles until an hour after the departure of the trucks, which didn’t sit well with the bike competitors. Finally, the entire stage was cancelled for the motorcycles and quads.

The end result is that the overall standings remain the same as Stage 11, with Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner still holding an advantage of more than 32 minutes on Monster Energy Honda’s Kevin Benavides. Red Bull KTM’s Toby Price, who won Stage 11, is third, a little more than 39 minutes out of the lead.

Tomorrow’s stage, the penultimate stage in the 2018 Dakar Rally, runs from from San Juan to Córdoba. It will feature 424 kilometers of timed special, plus 483 kilometers of liaison. It is the longest stage of the 2018 Dakar Rally.

2018 Dakar Rally, Stage 12
Fiambalá to Chilecito to San Juan, Argentina (Cancelled)
January 18, 2018

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 12 of 14 stages)
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 36 hours, 33 minutes, 37 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:32:00
3. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:39:17
4. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:49:17
5. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:59:05
6. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +01:18:10
7. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-GasGas Racing / +01:49:34
8. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +01:53:19
9. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +02:05:57
10. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +02:13:07

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Stage 11 featured a total distance of 485 kilometer in total between Belén and Fiambalá, with 280 kilometers of timed special, which ran the competitors through broken-up dry river beds and extremely technical sections before finishing with another section of sand dunes that led to some high-speed sections on the day to Fiambalá. Today’s starting order was set by the finishing positions of not just the motorcycles but all vehicles remaining in the 2018 Dakar Rally. Thus the motorcycle competitors had to deal with heavily rutted tracks.

Price had a good handle on the timed special anyway, finishing with a time of 4 hours, 1 minute and 33 seconds, 1 minute and 38 seconds ahead of Monster Energy Honda’s Kebin Benavides and 6 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Antoine Meo, the Stage 8 winner. But while he was pleased with the win, Price could only lament about the previous stage.

“Yesterday was… I’ve never felt so bad in my life,” Price said after getting lost in a pivotal Stage 10. “Today we just needed to try and see if we could claw back a little bit of time, and I think we’ve done that a little bit, but it’s gonna be tough from back where we are. It’s good to get a stage win. In the first week I was quite conservative, but now I attached some more, it’s good to get a stage win because I hadn’t done that this year so far. To be still in the race going towards the finish line is a pretty big achievement for me. My goal is just trying to stay on two wheels, not making a day like yesterday and seeing what that gives us at the finish line.”

Price’s stage win moved him back in an overall podium position, but teammate Matthias Walkner, who finished fifth today, 11 minutes and 1 second behind Price, is still 32 minutes ahead of Benavides and just over 39 minutes ahead of Price, a comfortable margin as the 2018 Dakar Rally nears its completion. It would take a monumental mistake or some really bad luck for Walkner to lose his advantage at this point in the rally. Still, the Austrian is not taking anything for granted yet.

“I spent most of the time with Stéphane Peterhansel today,” Walkner said. “I passed him on the dunes, but on the fast bits he passed me. Every day can change everything. I have to stay focused day after day. I don’t think so much about victory. Of course, I’m a little bit nervous. Just missing one waypoint can cost you 20 minutes. Keeping going and doing my best is all I can do.”

Stage 11 was another good one for Monster Energy Honda’s American rider, Ricky Brabec, who finished fourth, 7 minutes and 34 seconds behind Price, which helped to remain sixth in the overall rally standings.

“I am much happier than when I finished yesterday, which had been a nightmare to try to find that cursed waypoint,” Brabec said. “I feel fine; the bike is running really well too. We will continue fighting to finish this Dakar as best we can. I hope Joan gets well and improves soon.”

Brabec’s comment was a reference to the withdrawal of his Monster Energy Honda teammate, Joan Barreda, who called it quits while running second overall in after he was just to battered to continue. The knee injury he suffered while winning Stage 7 was bad enough, but Barreda crashed again in Stage 10 and suffered a concussion. He wanted to continue but was forced to end his seventh Dakar Rally campaign after posting three stage wins, the 20th, 21st and 22nd of his Dakar Rally career.

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” Barreda said. “Since I fell and hit my knee I have been suffering a lot in every stage. My knee was unstable, and I had to change my position on the bike but even that didn’t help. Today I reached a point where I couldn’t feel my leg any more and I think that, in spite of everything, the best decision has been to stop so as not to make the situation worse. It’s a pity because I was second in the race overall, but I wasn’t in any condition to fight to win the races.”

Barreda wasn’t the only one, as Slovnaft Racing’s Stefan Svitko also failed to start Stage 11 after crashing in Stage 10.

The 2018 Dakar Rally continues tomorrow as the field heads to San Juan, a total of 723 kilometers, including a reduced special stage of 288 kilometers along a route that is expected to be rocky and once again present some navigational challenges.

2018 Dakar Rally
Belén, Argentina, to Fiambalá, Argentina
Results: January 17, 2018 (Stage 11 of 14)

Stage 11
1. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 4 hours, 1 minute, 33 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:01:38
3. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:06:31
4. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:07:34
5. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:11:01
6. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:12:32
7. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +00:19:38
8. Joan Pedrero (SPA)-Sherco TVS Rally Factory / +00:22:46
9. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +00:27:00
10. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:27:08
13. Andrew Short (USA)-Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:36:22
14. Mark Samuels (USA)-OX Motorsports / +00:36:27

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 11 of 14 stages)
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 36 hours, 33 minutes, 37 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:32:00
3. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:39:17
4. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:49:17
5. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:59:05
6. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +01:18:10
7. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-GasGas Racing / +01:49:34
8. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +01:53:19
9. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +02:05:57
10. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally / +02:13:07

The post 2018 Dakar Rally Stage 11: Price Wins One, Overall Standings Unchanged appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

On Tuesday, January 16, while leading the provisional overall standings of the 2018 Dakar Rally, Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team rider Adrien Van Beveren suffered a crash shortly before finishing Stage 10 of the event in Belén. Currently in hospital where he is receiving medical assistance in La Rioja, Adrien is expected to return to France in the coming days.

Following the incident, Adrien was initially airlifted to the nearest hospital in Belén, Argentina, where he underwent initial medical checks. Then, during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Adrien was taken by ambulance to the Hospital Regional Dr. Vera Barros in La Rioja, Argentina.

Receiving further checks in La Rioja, it was confirmed that Adrien has suffered a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion (bruise to his lungs), caused by the impact of the crash. Following his personal request, and with the permission of the medical team, Adrien is expected to fly back to France on Wednesday night or Thursday morning in order to continue his rehabilitation.

“The first couple of hours after the incident were long, but luckily Adrien’s condition has been stable throughout the night and this morning,” said Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Director Alexandre Kowalski. “He is in a lot of pain, but he is breathing normally and is looking forward to returning to France as soon as possible. He has been under close supervision all through the night, with doctors in La Rioja confirming the initial diagnosis for a broken collarbone, two broken ribs and an impact on his lungs from the crash. Adrien is in much better spirits today, but still extremely disappointed for losing the chance to continue the race and his battle for the coveted Dakar victory. It’s been a heavy blow for all the members of our team but we are all standing behind Adrien.”

The race continues today in Argentina, with Stage 11 of the taking Dakar Rally competitors from Belén to Fiambalá.

The post Adrien Van Beveren Dakar Rally Injury Update appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

And the kind of day that may just make Dakar Rally competitors curse the day they ever signed up for it in the first place.

With the cancellation of Stage 9 due to weather-related issues with the route, the 2018 Dakar Rally resumed with Stage 10 from Salta to Belén in Argentina. A stark contrast to the rainy conditions that pervaded in the Bolivian stages, Tuesday’s stage presented the riders with challenging navigation in extremely hot, dry and dusty terrain. The route would prove to trip up many of the top competitors, who effectively saw their chances at the 2018 Dakar Rally win go right into the proverbial toilet.

Among those who got lost, and thus lost a massive amount of time, were Monster Energy Honda’s Kevin Benavides, Joan Barreda and Ricky Brabec, Red Bull KTM teammates Toby Price and Antoine Meo, and Slovnaft Racing’s Stefan Svitko. The disappointment may have been especially brutal for Benavides, who Having led for the first 242 kilometres of the timed special, only to follow the wrong river bed on the last part of stage run on the clock. The Argentinean now trails the new overall leader by 41 minutes.

Price, who won the 2016 Dakar Rally, pretty much summed up the feelings of the lost when he said, “It’s one of those days you want to forget. A bit tough, but that’s the way it is. I’ve just got to try and see what the rest of the week will bring now. It was a bit of a hot one, and I didn’t have much fluid, so I’m a bit drained and dehydrated. The notes all seemed to say 150 kilometers and the rio we got into started at 150 kilometers. We thought we’d got it right, but obviously not. I don’t know… the road-book is a bit average at the moment, but that’s the way it is. For us, it’s pretty much done. We’ll just keep plugging away each day and see what happens. You never know, but it’s not looking too good… That’s the way it is”.

If you were Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally’s Adrien Van Beveren or Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner, however, you were looking fantastic, but even that would change for one of them, the man known as AVB. Van Beveren seemed to be doing everything he needed to do to put himself into an almost insurmountable lead when, just three kilometers from the finish of the timed special, he crashed at high speed and sustained serious injuries, including a broken collarbone and a possible spinal injury. AVB was airlifted to Belén for further evaluation. After winning two stages and leading much of the event, his 2018 Dakar Rally came to an unfortunate end.

“Today we went from absolute joy to an incredible low,” Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Director Alexandre Kowalski said. “Adrien was perfectly following the plan that we have set together with our sports manager Jordi Arcarons, and he was having a great stage. He lost some time in the morning but kept improving as the race went on. He was among the first riders to find the right track in the river where most of the leaders got lost, and together with the eventual stage winner Walkner they were 49 minutes ahead of the rest of the pack. The crash took place less than five kilometers before the finish. This has been an epic journey for Adrien so far, and we were all behind him in his efforts. We had a dream race so far, and the spirit within the team was great. Unfortunately, the Dakar is such a tough event that all can change in just a few seconds. Following the first medical checks at the hospital, it seems that Adrien has suffered a broken collarbone. He will remain under close supervision, and tomorrow we will have more solid info.”

With that, Walkner rode to the Stage 10 victory and effectively fell into a massive overall lead that sees him 39 minutes and 42 seconds ahead of his closest competitor.

“It was a really tough and long stage,” Walkner said. “After the first part, when I saw Kevin [Benavides] was six minutes in front, I said ‘Okay we can’t go as fast all stage with this tricky navigation.’ So I stayed at my pace, and it did not work so bad. It was really at the limit because it’s so hard to follow the course and all these small rios, but in the end it was a really good day for me I think. When we spoke about the rankings yesterday, I was almost out of it. But this is the Dakar, and every day it can change a lot. I tried to stay at my rhythm. If I’m in front, I don’t like that it changes often, but if I’m further back it’s funnier, but that’s the Dakar… Of course I think I can win, but there are six or seven other riders who can win it and there is still a long way to go. We’ve seen how quick it can change.”

That next closest competitor to Walkner is Monster Energy Honda’s Barreda, who finished 14th today, 38 minutes and 15 seconds behind the Austrian today. The closest man in the stage result was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla, who navigated well to the end of the stage, finishing just 11 minutes and 35 seconds behind Walkner, although the Chilean suffered his share of misfortune in Stage 8 and currently sits ninth overall, just over 90 minutes off Walkner’s lead time.

Americans Andrew Short and Mark Samuels took full advantage of the misfortunes of their competition, netting sixth and seventh respectively—by far the best stage finish for each man in the 2018 Dakar Rally.

Of course, the 2018 Dakar Rally is far from over, and while Walkner appears to have a massive lead, anything can happen. Tomorrow’s Stage 11 is the second marathon stage for motorcycles The day will start in Bethlehem and head to Fiambalá. Riders once again will not be allowed any outside mechanical assistance once their bikes arrive at the parc fermé. The stage will consist of 280 kilometers of timed special and a total of 485 kilometers of liaison section.

2018 Dakar Rally
Salta, Argentina, to Belén, Argentina
Results: January 16, 2018 (Stage 10 of 14)

Stage 10
1. Mathias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 4 hours, 52 minutes and 26 seconds
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:11:35
3. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:16:21
4. Oriol Mena (SPA)-Hero Motorsports Team Rally /+00:20:45
5. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:23:14
6. Andrew Short (USA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:24:13
7. Mark Samuels (USA)- OX Motorsports / +00:24:50
8. Daniel Oliveras (SPA)- Himoinsa Team / +00:25:25
9. Armand Monleon (SPA )-Daming Racing Team / +00:34:18
10. Joan Pedrero (SPA)-Sherco TVS Rally Factory / +00:36:24

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 10 of 14 stages)
1. Matthias Walkner :AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 32 hours, 21 minutes and 3 seconds
2. Joan Barreda :SPA) -Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:39:42
3. Kevin Benavides :ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:41:23
4. Gerard Farres Gerard :SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:47:46
5. Toby Price Toby :AUS) -Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:50:18
6. Antoine Meo :FRA) -Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +01:03:35
7. Ricky Brabec :USA) -Monster Energy Honda Team / +01:21:37
8. Stefan Svitko :SLO) -Slovnaft Team / +01:25:09
9. Pablo Quintanilla :CHI) -Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +01:30:24
10. Johnny Aubert :FRA) -Gas Gas Racing / +01:40:57

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That left the competitors and their crews to complete the 520-kilometer stretch to the next bivouac in Salta, Argentina.

Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team’s Adrien Van Beveren barely clings to the overall lead in the 2018 Dakar Rally, 22 seconds ahead of Monster Energy Honda’s Kevin Benavides.

“The rain, the mud and the high altitude made things really hard for us these last two days. It was really exhausting physically, but I managed to get two good stage results. I am feeling great so far on my bike, and I also have a great feeling with my navigation. I can be fast while also avoiding navigational mistakes, and that is crucial for the coming stages as well. I feel that I’ve put the pieces of the puzzle together, and now I know what I need to do during the coming stages.”

Tuesday’s stage 10 of the 2018 Dakar Rally will finish in the city of Belén. The timed special will run along a 373-kilometer route.

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Rally Standings through 9 of 14 stages (Stage 9 cancelled)
1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA(-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / 27 hours, 22 minutes and 3 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:00:22
3. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:06:34
4. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:07:35
5. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:08:01
6. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:09:56
7. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-Slovnaft Team / +00:31:55
8. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:31:58
9. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:45:52
10. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +01:10:02

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It’s position Brabec will keep, and his competition will also stand pat, as Dakar Rally officials have announced the cancellation of Stage 9’s timed special due to safety concerns. Certain sections of the route have been determined to be impassable after heavy storms have flooded the route.

Brabec led much of Stage 8, which reminded him of his Southern California and Baja desert racing experiences. Only a late charge in the timed special allowed Meo to sneak to the front of the 498-kilometer timed special. Meo finished the stage with a time of 5 hours 24 minutes and 1 second, while Brabec finished just 1 minute and 8 seconds behind the Frenchman.

“I went flat-out from the start,” Meo said. “I wanted to gain six or seven minutes on the leaders, and I’m happy with what I did today because I pushed to the limit. I stopped for two minutes to help Quintanilla, whose chain had come off. I fell at kilometer 400, but both my bike and I are fine. It’ll hurt my chances if tomorrow’s stage is cancelled, but I’ll try to salvage something on the way to Fiambalá. Everything’s still up in the air!”

Brabec was happy to finish the second half of the marathon stage without incident.

“We have finished this second part of the marathon, in which we weren’t allowed to receive any assistance,” Brabec said. “The type of stage today was very similar to the races we have in California, and I felt very comfortable, much more than yesterday, which was horrible for me, because I’m not a rider who likes mud. Today there were fast tracks and off-piste. The end of the special was good, battling with Antoine Méo. We will continue fighting over the next five days. Every year of the three in which I’ve taken part in the Dakar, stages have been canceled, which is nothing new. If it’s for our safety, that’s good.

Red Bull KTM’s Toby Price had another consistent day, finishing third, just 2 minutes and 45 seconds behind Meo.

Monster Energy Honda’s Kevin Benavides came ever so close to retaking the overall lead after finishing fourth in Stage 8 after catching the overall leader, Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally’s Adrien Van Beveren on the route. But although Benavides pulled back 3 minutes on ABV, the Argentinian finished the day just 22 seconds out of the overall lead.

Meanwhile, Benavides’ teammate Joan Barreda’s 2018 Dakar Rally roller coaster ride faced another uphill challenge while nursing the knee damage that he suffered in a crash while en route to victory in Stage 7. While there is no apparent break to the leg, Barreda soldiered on in pain and finished the day eighth, but he lost 3 minutes and 16 seconds to ABV. Barreda is now fifth overall, 8 minutes and 1 second out of the lead.

“Yesterday I had a fall while pushing hard, where I had managed to make up quite a few minutes,” Barreda said. “I damaged my knee, and it was looking unlikely that I would make the start line for today’s stage. I thought that I might not be able to participate today. The doctors bandaged me up, and today I had the job of opening the track from the start of the special. Over the first kilometers there was a part of dunes with vegetation, and I suffered a little–it hurt me a lot. Then the other riders arrived, and we were able to finish the day without further problems. Now we need to see how the knee holds up, but without a doubt, the cancellation of the stage tomorrow will be a great help. Let’s move on. We still have options with the desert stages, and we will try to get the best out of our possibilities in this race.

Things were worse for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally rider Pablo Quintanilla, who saw his chances for a podium result in the 2018 Dakar Rally take a serious hit after he suffered bike trouble and finished over 28 minutes out of the overall lead.

“It was a disappointing day for me,” Quintanilla said. “I started really well. My goal was to push in order to make up some time to the leaders in the overall standings. [Then] 220 kilometers into the timed special I had an issue with my rear axle. I stopped and lost more than one-hour trying to get going again. This Dakar hasn’t been the best for me, but I now focus on giving my best in the coming stages. We’ve worked hard all year for this race, so it’s disappointing for all the team for things like that to happen. It is what is, and we’ll continue racing until the end. I still have the opportunity to get some good stage results while improving my speed and navigation, that’s my focus now.”

American rider Andrew Short enjoyed the best finish yet in his Dakar Rally debut, finishing 23rd, which moved him inside the top 20 overall. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally rider is now 17th overall.

“These last two days have been really tough physically and mentally, so I’m really happy we got this first marathons stage done. Yesterday I had a few small crashes in the mud and also stopped a few times to assist other riders. I’m really fast in the sand sections, and I need to improve my speed in the faster tracks. Overall, today I had a good stage. I stopped and tried to help Pablo with the issue he had, so I lost a bit of time there. For me the goal is to continue day-by-day. This race is really exhausting mentally and physically. We are all sore and beat up right now, but we need to focus on the stages to come.”

2018 Dakar Rally
Uyuni, Bolivia, to Tupiza, Bolivia
Results: January 14, 2018 (Stage 8 of 14)

Stage 8
1. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / 5 hours, 24 minutes, 1 second
2. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:01:08
3. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:02:45
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:05:52
5. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-Slovnaft Team / +00:06:46
6. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:07:00
7. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:08:44
8. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:12:00
9. Laia Sanz (SPA)-KTM Factory Racing Team / +00:14:15
10. Armand Monleon (SPA)-Daming Racing Team / +00:15:15

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after stage 8 of 14)
1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA(-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / 27 hours, 22 minutes and 3 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:00:22
3. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:06:34
4. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:07:35
5. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:08:01
6. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:09:56
7. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-Slovnaft Team / +00:31:55
8. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:31:58
9. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:45:52
10. Johnny Aubert (FRA)-Gas Gas Racing / +01:10:02

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The Spanish rally ace has come back from being well off the lead pace after navigational errors in Stage 3 to post the win in Stage 5 and fight his way back into contention for his first career Dakar Rally overall win. However, the marathon stages of the Dakar Rally have proven to be a downfall for Barreda in past editions.

But after a challenging Stage 7 from La Paz to Uyuni in Bolivia, Barreda not only came through the first of the two marathon days unscathed, he actually won again to post his 22nd career Dakar Rally stage victory, even after crashing along the route.

The start of the second half of the 2018 Dakar Rally began with a liaison stage from La Paz to Uyuni before the riders went on the clock for 425 kilometers of times special along rain-soaked sections that required the riders to exercise extreme caution in order to avoid getting stuck. Swollen river crossings only added to the challenge.

Even so, Barreda wasn’t afraid to ride aggressively, and his time of 5 hours, 11 minutes and 10 seconds topped Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally’s Adtien Van Beveren by 2 minutes and 51 seconds. Barreda did pay a small price, however, as the crash he suffered late in the timed special resulted in a knee injury.

“I was doing well and had recovered several minutes when in the middle of the storm I left the track and the bike fell on me, hitting my left knee,” Barreda said. “I had the doctors look me over and they have told me that there is nothing broken, but that I have some liquid inside the knee. Let’s see if they can fix it and tomorrow we will start to try to hold on to the stage, although I saw the stars when I had to put my leg down on some corners.”

While he was second in Stage 7, Van Beveren now finds himself back in the 2018 Dakar Rally overall lead after he was able to pull back time on Monster Energy Honda’s Kevin Benavides who had a decent day, starting and finishing third, but the Argentinian lost 5 minutes and 11 seconds to AVB, erasing the slim 1 minute and 57 seconds he had accrued over the Frenchman at the end of Stage 6. As it stands, AVB once again holds down the top slot overall with a total time of 21 hours, 49 minutes and 18 seconds, 3:14 ahead of Benavides while Barreda is now third, 4:45 off the lead time.

“I want to give it my best shot every day, and it’s working so far,” Van Beveren said. “I try to ride smart and avoid any falls. I managed to open up a gap, which is great. You absolutely have to avoid falls during the marathon stage because the mechanics won’t be there to help you out. Finally, this was a stage for pushing hard. Technical courses are right up my alley because my bike is very easy to handle. It feels great to be leading the Dakar. I’ll try to keep it up because I’ve got good sensations on my bike.”

Benavides said that the rainy conditions added up to a very difficult day for him.

“At the beginning there was a lot of navigation and dunes with vegetation, and it was very difficult,” Benavides said. “At kilometer 100 I caught the riders in front and we opened the track together until halfway through the race. We knew we had lost time because we were slow opening the track. Then we started attacking towards the end to recover a good pace. We hope to finish this marathon stage well tomorrow.”

The 2016 Dakar Rally Champion, Toby Price, finished fourth again in Stage 7, leading one to believe that the Red Bull KTM-backed Australian is still biding his time before going all-out. Price was followed by two other men who are still in podium contention, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla and Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner.

American Ricky Brabec finished the stage after riding defensively. Brabec came home 10th with a time of 5:24:58, 13 minutes and 48 seconds behind Barreda. Brabec currently sits 11th overall, a little more than 5 minutes behind current 10th place overall rider Stefan Svitko of the Slovnaft team, but the American is hoping to be able to charger harder in Stage 8.

“In this seventh stage, the first part of the first Marathon, I didn’t feel comfortable with the rain, which has not left us all day,”Brabec said. “But the tracks were quite quick and I could go fairly fast, but without taking too many risks because I wanted to get to the Uyuni bivouac in one piece and with the bike without problems. Now let’s see how we prepare tomorrow’s stage.”

Stage 7 spelled the end of the road for Monster Energy Honda’s Michael Metge. The Frenchman, who was already outside of the top 10 coming into the second week of the rally despite finishing a solid 10th in Stage 6, suffered a broken rear wheel and could not make it to the parc ferme in the allotted time. Thus, Metge has been forced to withdraw from the 2018 Dakar Rally.

The second part of this marathon stage will conclude Sunday in Tupiza, after 498 kilometers of timed special and 87 kilometers of liaison ain be able to receive help from their mechanics.

2018 Dakar Rally
La Paz, Bolivia, to Uyuni, Bolivia
Results: January 13, 2018 (Stage 7 of 14)

Stage 7
1. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / 5 hours, 11 minutes, 10 seconds
2. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:02:51
3. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:08:02
4. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:08:43
5. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:08:53
6. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:09:16
7. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-Slovnaft Team / +00:09:30
8. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:10:03
9. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:12:46
10. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:13:48
25. Mark Samuels (USA)-MEC Team / +00:49:30
28. Andrew Short (USA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:54:25

2018 Dakar Rally Overall Lead (after 7 of 14 stages)
1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / 21 hours, 49 minutes, 18 seconds
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:03:14
3. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:04:45
4. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:08:18
5. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:13:34
6. Xavier de Soultrait Xavier (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:16:39
7. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:18:40
8. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:20:47
9. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:33:27
10. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-Slovnaft Team / +00:33:53
11. Ricky Brabec (USA)- Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:39:34
25. Andrew Short (USA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / + 02:09:47

The post 2018 Dakar Rally Stage 7: Barreda Bangs to Another Win appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Making the best of their day off in the capital of Bolivia, the duo of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla and Andrew Short are now focused on continuing their solid performances in this coming second week of competition at the 2018 Dakar Rally. With Pablo currently 16 minutes behind the provisional overall leader and eight more long stages yet to be contested, the reigning Rally World Champion will make use of his experience to gradually climb higher up the leader board.

Featuring five long and demanding stages in the sandy dunes of Peru, this first week of racing proved to be demanding for all competitors. Kicking off the event with a strong third place result in the opening stage, Quintanilla went on to secure four more top six stage results as the race moved over to Bolivia yesterday. Reaching as high as second overall after the end of stage four, the Chilean-born, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rally star is currently placed eighth in the provisional overall standings.

“It’s been really nice to get some rest,” Quintanilla said. “I had a good sleep, enjoyed some lovely food in the hotel and was able to work a little with my physio to refresh my body. I’m feeling really good now, we’re nearly at the halfway point of the race, and I still feel very strong. We have the marathon stage next and, as always, it’s very important to be careful and look after your bike. It’s not worth taking any risks because even the smallest mistake could mean the end of your rally. I’m happy with my position at the moment, but it would be nice to be a little further up the order. Unfortunately, the issue I had on stage five cost me a few important minutes. My plan now is to keep focused on my road book and navigation to try and keep to a good rhythm, rather than just try and push. There is still a long way to go, and I’m going to do my best to stay consistent, and hopefully it will pay off.”

Learning more as the race goes on, Dakar Rally and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rookie Andrew Short has been making some steady progress so far in the race. Consistently finishing inside the top 30 in all the stages contested so far, the acclaimed US racer is now placed 22nd in the provisional overall standings. For this coming second week of racing, Andrew will look to earn a spot inside the top 20 in the overall.

“I’m really happy to have made it here. I have been a little frustrated with my speed–sometimes I catch and pass other riders, then I get lost and lose all the time again,” Short said. “Yesterday (Thursday) was the toughest day for me, the stage didn’t suite me so well, it was really fast and difficult. Overall, I have to say I’m learning a lot and in the future, I am sure it will pay off. The event is amazing, to be here and experience it first-hand is something very special. I really enjoyed the dunes in Peru, especially the last day, it was really fun riding. We have the first of the marathon stages tomorrow, and I’m not really sure what to expect. I did experience one in the Moroccan rally, but I think the Dakar marathon stages are going to be a little more serious. The team have advised what I need to pack, and hopefully I won’t have any troubles on the route. I’m really enjoying the whole rally, even the long liaison sections that might be a little tiresome for the regular riders, are eye-opening for me. I love riding through all the new scenery, and the welcome we got when riding into La Paz was incredible.”

With eight more stages still to be contested, the second week of racing at this year’s Dakar Rally is expected to be yet more demanding. Featuring two marathons stages in a total of 5,200km to be run until the finish in Córdoba, the race still has a long way to go.

2018 Dakar Rally – Provisional Overall Standings [Rest Day]
1. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 16:33:20
2. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 16:35:17
3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 16:37:10
4. Joan Barreda (Honda) 16:42:53
5. Toby Price (KTM) 16:42:59
…
8. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 16:50:02
22. Andrew Short (Husqvarna) 17:53:30

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