STAGE 10 - Distance of 759Km with 375 Km Special Stage !
In today's stage, a few battles for positions in midfield could perhaps secure places for the final stage to Jeddah.
A lot of navigation but mostly " Flat Out " !
If you run too fast to such a "drop off", you will quickly get a lip like Dani Sanders or you will be out immediately!
My result is impressive again ... that's what the team told me! 38th place in the Special Stage!
The Dakar is simply "ultra-tough and incomparable". In today's stage, after a 375km race distance, I missed out on 37th place by only 2 seconds and some 30 seconds from position 36th!
Stage 10 turned out to be my best stage result during my first Dakar!
Had to weakup this morning at 3:30 AM and once again it was very cold on the road stage. In order to guarantee the participants the "perfect Dakar feeling", it got really hot during lunchtime đ„
The first 100km, as usual, were fully flatout - just as " warm up " I assume. ALl the time with full throttle and I never took off the gas - or did I? Were these little "gas Liftings " maybe the "2 SECONDS", which I missing out at the end to position 37 đ. A couple of really strong top riders started behind me and they really " flew by me " with their factory bikes. They already had "swallowed" me after 10km into the stage.
About halfway through the stage it got really technical for the first time - some 10km I remember! A gravel road with a couple of nice trials and I think, that this was a place where I made up quite some time today - only there I passed 3 riders on this short stretch. Unfortunately, I'm still too slow on the straight, but I'm learning from day to day and I feel more and more comfortable on the bike - we're slowly becoming a real " Race Team" đ
Tomorrow, according to the race management and the discussions in the paddock, will probably be the toughest stage on the program! Each stage is repeated days beforehand with a car from the A.S.O. (... the opening car) to control the stage! It was heard that this crew even hadn't found the right way either? đ ... how will it feel for the privateers and the top starter who has to "open" the track tomorrow?
If you have time, follow the race in the live ticker! The first 5 riders are within 10 minutes and each of them can still win the Dakar 2022 !! It will stay very open and excitingtill the end đ
For me there are 2 days left to become a "Dakar Finisher" - a little bit of luck and I could really make itđ
The landscape in Saudi Arabia is so varied and just awesome ... a biker's paradise!
