The Dakar doesn't forgive noone and this time he ended up with Joan Font who, in the first stretch of dunes in this edition, saw all his possibilities of continuing in the official classification disappear. The cause was a turbo failure, an accident suffered on kilometer 24 of the special – with 438 kilometers to go – which did not bode well for his continuation on the race.
There was no delay in arriving at several assistance trucks, which had stopped to help him. Specifically, he was detained watching the Spanish trucks Alberto Alonso and Francesc Ester, and the MAN TGS of the TH-Trucks Team driven by the Italian Cesare Rickler. The latter later towed the Can-Am Maverick X3 from Font to the highway.
“We arrived at the assistance and we appreciated what we could do to repair and continue the stage. Finally, one of the trucks that helped us got us onto the road. We couldn't drive for more than 400 kilometers, especially because you were in danger of going back and the truck couldn't see you”, reports Joan Font about what happened.
“Así son las carreras, no siempre van bien. If the turbo breaks, I can't do absolutely anything, it's a mechanical problem and if you never had any problems, they would all be gone. In the Dakar there are 50% abandonments and this year it has touched me”, Scuderia driver Ramilo Rodamoto recognizes on the way to lively.
An event in the second stage of the Dakar has left the success of Joan and her co-pilot Borja Rodríguez to repeat as finishers of the Dakar, but their intention is that the race does not end here, as the organization allows the participants to reengage in the rally lower the Dakar Experience modality despite not having finished a stage. For this, you must repair the vehicle in time to be able to leave tomorrow. “We will see what we do, we will try to complete the rest of the stages”, he added.
The Dakar Experience is a ‘Joker’ success –as the organization calls it– that allows all riders who do not belong to the ‘Elite’ or ‘Notoriety’ list to continue on the race once the vehicle has been repaired. In this way, the participant in the race can compete in the stages, but will not compete in general nor pass the finishing podium reserved for the finishers. That is why all participants who take part in the Dakar Experience have comfortable ground; another stage abandonment would be definitive.
If tomorrow Joan Font and Borja Rodríguez have the green light to continue, they are waiting for another 438 long kilometers of special, plus another 295 of links, in the third stage that will join Al Duwadimi and Al Salamiya.
Automatic translation of the Spanish version available on www.todoterreno.pt
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