STAGE 9 - Total of 490Km with a Special of 287 Km
The stage is a little shorter, but again very very fast and also varying a lot. Desert tracks, stones, canyons, etc ... Navigation is very important today!
Today wasby far my best DAKAR day - P40 overall on today's stage 👍
The stage was a bit more changing from dunes, to nice enduro sections, but still assumed to have some 80% full throttle sections. Without exaggeration, the first 20 km were absolutely "full throttle" and without briefly "twitching" the gas 😳. Head down, make yourself small was the main subject of the day - and I wasn't the only one! A quick look up at a speed of 160Km / h and you have the feeling, like your head and your helmet are going to be ripped of your shoulders 😅
Back in the paddock, I spoke to a technician from KTM and he meant for next year, every now and then, they will have to train a little on MOTO GP racetracks, so riders will get a better feeling for highspeed 😅
Maybe this is the root source of Petrucci's results during this Dakar?
I drove the whole day with 2 other riders which I know pretty well. We pushed each other and constantly alternated with the navigation. When it went into a canyon, I had the right nose and instead of going left I drove to the right - the other two behind directly following me. We have certainly gained a lot of time, compared to others who had to " circle " a bit before they could continue ✊
In the dunes at KM 140, I missed a stepup and for a few seconds had the feeling of what it is like, shortly before the "Dakar may be over ". Legs in the sky and hands on the handlebars ... this "Superman" would certainly have earned me good points in Freestyle MX and my buddy Marc would have been proud of me 👏😉
3 more days .. slowly we can see the end of the tunnel - just don't make any more mistakes 👍
YES! ... there are moments like this too! Just beautiful! ... Unfortunately WE as a riders can hardly realize it that way. Taking a quick look to the side at a speed of 160Km / h could be the end of the rally :(
The desert is a paradise and really something very special - you just have to take your time.
Dreamlike landscapes are the other side of the DAKAR! ... I was told the biker on the right side down would be me ??
It's not always "full throttle" .. sometimes pretty enduro moderate & that with the rally bike.
Still - an unforgettable day and my best stage result - P40 overall today!
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