The Portuguese rider covered 947 km in 12h48m35s
The 48-hour stage, the second of the 47th edition of the Dakar Rally that ended today, proved to be particularly tough for drivers and machines. Bruno Santos made a good start to the almost 1,000 km timed stage that began yesterday. His pace allowed him to climb up the ranks, but the long and challenging stretch of dunes gave him no respite. At km 599, he finished the first part of this two-day odyssey. Today, he entered the second part of this challenge well, but his progress was conditioned by a mechanical problem which was still not enough to prevent the driver supported by Frutas Patrícia Pilar from completing the stage in a position that opens up good prospects for the stages ahead.
“It was a very tough stage. Yesterday I started very well and up until km 200 I know I was gaining several positions. Then I ended up losing some time over 200 km followed by dunes of all kinds: big ones, small ones, some very soft ones where we got stuck easily, I wasted a lot of energy in that area and had to finish that section in survival mode. Then I was able to roll another 200 km with lots of rocks until the end and rest at the bivouac at km 599 after a long day. I was able to rest well at night, which was very important. Today I set off well for the stage, but I had a mechanical problem. I had to stop, dismantle the bike, we thought there was a problem with the rear gas tank, which forced me to dismantle filters along the way. Today was an eventful day. Anyway, since I arrived I've recovered some energy and I'm ready for tomorrow,” said the Momento TT-supported rider, who spent almost 13 hours at the controls of his Husqvarna 450 Rally to complete the 947 timed kilometers of a stage that concluded in 18th place in the Rally 2 Ranking.
Tomorrow sees the third stage of the Dakar Rally 2025. After three days in Bisha, the caravan will face a long journey north as it continues to tour the country. It will be time to head for Al Henakiyah. Given that the area has been subject to heavy storms, the organization decided to establish a more accessible route to also give the competitors some rest after the tough chrono stage, not least because on January 8 and 9 the entire entourage will have to face a marathon stage. The route of the third stage has therefore been shortened to 327 timed kilometers.
Source: Bruno Santos / A2 Comunicação
Disclaimer:
As a service to the sport we all love and follow, Rally-Raid Network posts numerous media releases from a wide variety of sources on our website. Due to the large number, and some times short time available, it is nearly impossible to review each public release. These articles are written by reporters or press officers who work for various organizers, teams, drivers, riders, and other parties, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rally-Raid Network.
