Dakar 2024: Laia Sanz beats her best result in a stage in cars

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• The KH-7 rider was 16th after riding a good part of the second special stage of the Dakar around the Top 10.
• The Barcelona-born driver and her co-driver Maurizio Gerini, satisfied with the performance of the astara 02 Concept, are already 20th overall and second in the T1.2 (4x2) category.
• "It has been a great day. We knew how to keep the right pace everywhere; we pushed hard at the beginning in the dunes and also in the fast parts, and we knew how to ease off on the rocky sections."
• "It's a pity that we lost a little bit, because we were tenth and twelfth for a good part of the stage, and this made us lose some positions, but we are very happy."

In the midst of a meteoric ascent. This is how the first days are going for Laia Sanz in the Dakar Rally 2024. After making a big jump from the 60th position she started the first stage to the 24th position she finished yesterday, this Sunday she has once again made a big jump in the standings. The Catalan finished the second day in an excellent 16th place overall and third in the T1.2 category (for 4x2 cars).

This is the best result so far for the KH-7 rider in her three participations on four wheels, after 18th place in the ninth stage last year. A figure that will probably be outdated in the coming days, unless she maintains the level of riding she is demonstrating and her special ability to read the pace required for each type of terrain.

The Spaniard from the astara Team shone at the wheel of the 02 Concept with her co-driver Maurizio Gerini from the start of the special stage, which took the competitors from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi (Saudi Arabia) on a route that included another 462 kilometers of special stage, out of a total of 654 km. Her pace was very consistent and she soon found herself fighting for a place in the Top 10 of the stage. In fact, from the 96th to the 342nd kilometer, he has been debating between the 10th, 11th and 12th absolute position, and leading his category.

Only a small loss of navigation in the last part of the special stage caused Sanz and Gerini to lose nearly three minutes. They crossed the finish line sixteenth, 25 minutes and 11 seconds behind Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi), who started just behind them today, and third in T1.2, four minutes and 13 seconds behind Mathieu Serradori. In the general standings, the KH-7 team is 20th overall and second in T1.2, 19 minutes and 54 seconds behind the Frenchman.

"Today was a great day. I think we knew how to keep the right pace everywhere; we pushed hard at the beginning in the dunes and also in the fast parts, and we knew how to ease off on the rocky sections. It's a pity that we got a bit lost, because we were tenth and twelfth for a good part of the stage, and this made us lose some positions. We are very happy, although it could have been a little better. Gerini did a great job and the car went very well after the suspension changes we made yesterday".

This Monday, the third stage, between Al Duwadimi and Al Salamiya, with a total of 732 kilometers, 437 of which will be timed. At the end of the special stage, the teams will have only two hours of assistance before the drivers head to the bivouac where the vehicles will remain in a closed park for the first marathon stage of the 46th edition of the Dakar.

Second stage standings:
1. Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi) 3h54'40".
2. Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive) +29".
3. Seth Quintero (Toyota), +03'11".
4. Nasser Al-Attiyah (Prodrive) +06'28".
5. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) +07'11".
...
16 / 3 (T1.2). Laia Sanz (astara) +25'11".

Overall classification
1. Carlos Sainz (Audi) 8h49'38".
2. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) +01'51".
3. Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive) +04'17".
4. Seth Quintero (Toyota) +07'36".
5. Guillaume De Mevius (Toyota) +07'44".
...
20 / 2 (T1.2). Laia Sanz (astara) +36'05".

Automatic translation of the Spanish version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source KH-7 Sport / Laia Sanz

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