Clutch betrayed Portuguese rider who took more than 16 hours to return to bivouac
The 47th edition of the Dakar Rally has ended for Antonio Maio. After a well-deserved day of rest, the Portuguese driver had started very motivated for the second half of the race that is being held in Saudi Arabia. The long stage from Hail to Al Duwadimi was over 800 kilometers long, of which 604 were contested against the clock. The rider registered by the Franco Sport Yamaha Racing Team took his Yamaha WR450 very close to the end of the selective sector after having already managed to overcome a first setback at the beginning of the timed part, but luck was not on his side this time and the adventure ended in Al Duwadimi.
“That’s not what I meant to say, but in fact this adventure for us is over and how. Yesterday's stage was really long and started with a breakdown at km 2, with a broken spark plug. Mário Franco brought me the candle, but when he arrived, well over two hours had already passed. I left and the fear became finishing the stage at night. I tried to come as fast as possible and was going well when, around km 550, it was already night and with 50 km left to finish the special, I lost my clutch. In the middle of nowhere where I was, there was nothing to do and the other part of the adventure began,” said António Maio this morning after arriving in Al Duwadimi. And the pilot adds: “It started when the helicopter dropped a bag of food and water to us, to me and to an Indian man who had also stayed nearby. We had to look for supplies at night and found everything scattered in the middle of the dunes. Then it was another two hours waiting for the broom truck. More than 16 hours followed in the truck looking for a way here, in the middle of those dunes. It was a sleepless night, but I'm here now, the bike is here now. It was the possible. I was feeling really good and the bike was responding as well. I think it could have been a very good second week for us, but that's how things go and we'll definitely come back stronger. Thank you to everyone who made my participation possible.”
Automatic translation of the Portuguese version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source: Yamaha Fino Motor Racing / A2 Comunicaçao
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