After the "quick lap" of yesterday's prologue, which still entertained most of the riders, today's stage can finally be defined as such.
With 127 km of transfer and 414 of special tests we entered the race on a track, absolutely new and never crossed by the Dakar, characterized by a predominance of dirt roads and rocks and with little sand. The landscapes, typically volcanic, were the right backdrop for a stage that the riders had to manage as best they could.
Andrea Schiumarini: "The Dakar has finally begun. It was a stage studded with rocks, especially in the central part, where we broke the steering arm, which was promptly replaced in just 20 minutes.
We left an hour late, due to a medical intervention on the route, encountering darkness too early, and for the last 50km we were left in the dust of some SSVs. These are things that happen, but we managed the whole situation well, also avoiding plants and shrubs, which is not a given during a stage like this.
The navigation was quite challenging but fortunately we made few mistakes, focusing more on the road book than on speed."
The stage of tomorrow 7 January will be characterized by another 400 km of special test where there will be the first dunes but still many stones. As always in the Dakar nothing is taken for granted.
Automatic translation of the Italian version
Source: Andrea Schiumarini´s official press release
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