We then find Martin Prokop (Ford) at 1:49 ahead of Cristina Gutiérrez, first representative of the Dacia clan at 2:13. Indeed, if the Spaniard climbed into the Top 5, her two teammates Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb were among those who voluntarily eased up in order to benefit from a favorable starting position for the 48-hour marathon stage which will start tomorrow.
The Qatari admitted to having deliberately let go 15 minutes while the Frenchman, navigated by Fabian Lurquin, hid behind a large rock. As a result, the two crews are respectively 20th and 24th in the special, respectively 11:13 and 12:16 behind Quintero. Overdrive driver Yazeed Al Rajhi came between them.
Among the other big guns on the Dakar, Carlos Sainz (Ford) was content with the 7th time at 3:17, preceding Lucas Moraes (Toyota, + 3:18), Toby Price (Toyota, + 3:58) and Henk Lategan (Toyota, +4:12). Forced to open the road after his puncture the day before, Guillaume de Mévius saved the furniture by setting the 11th time, more than 5 minutes behind the leaders.
Winner of the prologue, Daniel Sanders (KTM) did it again during stage 1 on a motorcycle. The Australian finally won with 2:04 ahead of Ricky Brabec (Honda) and 2:26 over Ross Branch (Hero). 52nd time for Belgian Jérôme Martiny (Husqvarna), 1h10 from the lead.
Jérôme Martiny alone facing the Dakar and Mother Nature: “See the finish without injury”
Tomorrow, it’s time for the first big part of the Dakar 2025 with the 48-hour marathon stage, 967km long. The principle is simple: from the sound of the gong at 5 p.m., the competitors stop in the next of the six rest areas distributed along the route of the special. It’s difficult at this stage to do the math, knowing that the pilots are cut off from the world. The next day, it is at sunrise that the start is given in each of the rest zones, it is then necessary to complete the distance as quickly as possible while taking care of the mechanics. Pure rally-raid.
While the grand premiere had the competitors scattered across the dunes of the Empty Quarter, the second version of the 48h chrono takes place on more varied terrain, exploring the north of Bisha. The dunes are less imposing, but the overall challenge is just as high. For most drivers, there will be a session of around 100 kilometers of dunes every day.
It is also on this two-stage stage that the FIM and FIA vehicles will be separated for the first time, over the entire length of the special. Motorcyclists will thus have the leisure to travel without fearing overtaking by cutting-edge cars. And in the passenger compartments, the floor will be largely given to the co-drivers to seize the opportunity to make the difference.
