The second week at the Dakar hasn’t started quite as well as week one ended for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders, but he’s still in the race, and well inside the top-10 overall as the event nears its conclusion. After a couple of close calls on today’s ninth stage, Chucky wisely backed it down to complete the special safe and sound, and now lies eighth overall in the provisional classification.
We’re nearing the end of Dakar 2024, and this year’s event has been a real tough one. Today’s ninth stage saw Sanders race for almost five hours in the desert with his total time after nine stages nearing 42 hours. And we still have three days to go! But the most important thing is that Daniel’s still in the race, he’s healthy, and he’s gaining more experience with every kilometer, stage, and day completed. Three to go Chucky, you’ve got this!
Daniel Sanders: "Another tough stage done and we’re one day closer to the finish. It was a bit of a rough day. I tried my best but struggled a lot and I had a few close calls early on, too. After that I settled down a bit and cruised on home. I stayed in my comfort zone, didn’t push too hard, and unfortunately lost some time today. But that’s better than not finishing at all. I’m happy to finish another stage, though, especially as today was a really long day on the bike."
Provisional Results: Dakar Rally 2024, stage 9
1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 4:36:36
2. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 4:37:18
3. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 4:41:05
16. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 4:58:22
Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 9)
1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 40:53:49
2. Ross Branch (Hero) 41:00:58
3. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 41:05:05
8. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 41:53:36