QUADS News from stage 11 - updates 16.01.2013: DAKAR 2013 Stage 11 Wednesday January 16th, 2013 1st start (GMT-3) : 9:15 AM 2013 - Argentina/Chile -

DAKAR 2013  Stage 11  Wednesday January 16th, 2013
1st start (GMT-3) : 9:15 AM
2013 - Argentina/Chile -

13:22 - quad
No stress for Patronelli in the general standings

With a lead of 1:50'22", Marcos Patronelli is far from being threatened by Ignacio Casale, who in turn has almost an hour's lead over Rafal Sonik (2:46'59" behind the leader), so the situation is far from critical in the quad general standings.


As if further proof of this was needed, the gap that separates Sonik from fourth placed rider Lucas Bonetto is around 50 minutes.


However, the suspense will be focused on the fight for fourth place between the leading Hondo rider (Bonetto), the Can-Am of Sebastian Palma and possible Polish rider Lukasz Laskawiec a little further back.



13:14 - quad
Smith's win confirmed

The Australian Honda rider finished in first place in front of the Yamahas ridden by Gaston Gonzales and Marcos Patronelli, by respectively 4'18" and 5'42". Lucas Bonetto finished in fourth place, 15'31" behind Smith, but ahead of Sebastian Husseini, 16'01" behind the Australian.


 Kees Koolen grabbed sixth place, 18'19" behind the stage winner.

12:24 - quad
274 - Smith wins as Husseini goes AWOL

Australian Paul Smith has won the stage after benefitting from what looks to be a navigation error on the last section by Husseini, who lost his bearings just after CP2. He finished 4'18" ahead of Gaston Gozalez and 5'42" ahead of Marcos Patronelli.



11:49 - quad
265 - Husseini takes control

After 200 km, the competitors who have not yet passed through CP1 have stopped and will head straight to the bivouac.

Since the quad special has made it passed this point, the battle continues. Sebastian Husseini leads Paul Smith by 2'01", whilst Gaston Gonzales occupies third place, 6'21" behind the Emirati, but ahead of Marcos Patronelli, who trails the stage leader by 9'46".

11:08 - quad
Smith under threat from Husseini

After 120 km, Sebastian Husseini is starting to catch up with stage leader Paul Smith and only trails the Australian by 1'40".

Argentinean Gaston Gonzalez is in third, 5'42" behind Smith, Marcos Patronelli is in provisional fourth, 10'31" behind the stage leader and Ignacio Casale trails the frontrunner by 22'39".


These positions are likely to change, bearing in mind that most of the category's leading lights made a navigational mistake after 33 km of the special.

10:19 - quad
274 - Smith takes command after 83 km

Australian Paul Smith is the quickest so far, with a lead of 2'45" over Argentina's Gagliardi, 4'25 over Chile's Palma, 5'25” over Germany's Carignani and 5'36” over France's Delesque. The leaders of the general standings, including Marcos Patronelli, are currently lying on the positions after tenth place.


09:05 - quad
All new leading trio after 51 km

Peruvian Umbert Okumura leads the quad race, 1'18” ahead of Australian Paul Smith and 1'32” in front of Argentinean Luciano Gagliardi. It seems that all the competitors who started at the front of the race made the same navigational error after 33 km.



08:51 - quad
254 - Casale stuck in the sand?

Just after the 53 km point of the special, Chilean Ignacio Casale has been at a standstill for several minutes. Slightly to the left of the route, whereas most of the other riders are passing to the right, quid rider No. 254 has already lost at least half a dozen minutes.



08:46 - quad
Navigation errors for the quads too

Sebastian Husseini, several minutes ago, and Laurent-Duverney-Pret, at this very moment, as well as Rafal Sonik, Tomas Maffei and Lukasz Laskawiec have taken the wrong direction after 33 km.



08:18 - quad
Laskawiec dans in the dunes

Now the quads have made their entrance into the timed section. Polish rider Lukasz Laskawiec was the first to get down to business at 9.56 AM local time.




06:22 - quad
Now for the quads

With Lukasz Laskawiec, winner of yesterday's stage, the 26 quads expected at the start are heading towards Fiambala. The first will start the special at 9.56 AM local time.



17:02
La Rioja-Fiambala: the return of the dunes

With a new sandy episode, the Dakar 2013 enters a third phase in which each competitor will need to adapt their driving or riding technique and overall approach to the terrain: the less attentive will leave themselves open to very costly navigation errors.


On a route that is slightly different for the cars/trucks and bikes/quads, the stage will include 256 km of link stage, followed by 220 km of special stage that will finish near the bivouac (with a small 6-km link stage). Sometimes, nothing happens around Fiambala… but it's very rare! On average, these dunes with their attractive contours often hold nasty surprises in store.


Anything is possible, including in the new dunes added to the programme. Whilst in most of the categories the positions are becoming increasingly more established, even if the gaps are small in some cases, there should be a certain amount of new developments by the end of the day.



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