Alexandre Pinto continued his participation in the 2026 Dakar Rally today, the eighth and longest stage of this edition, with 483 km timed. It was a stage marked by a few setbacks that the Old Friends Rally Team driver, accompanied by Bernardo Oliveira, managed to overcome, thus continuing a positive start to the second week of the 2026 Dakar Rally, after a seventh stage that the Portuguese duo competed in yesterday without any problems.
"Yesterday's stage was very long, but clean, with no setbacks. We rode a lot in the dust, which is part of the race. It was a positive stage. Today, we managed to set a strong pace until halfway through the special. The second half didn't go so well because we ended up mixing with other riders, some of whom didn't give us way, so we rode many kilometers in the dust. For that very reason, we ended up with a flat tire. We had to stop to change it. The second part of the special stage was more difficult, with a big drop in pace due to the dust and its constraints, but two days of the second week of the Dakar are now over with a positive balance. We are not in the fight we would like to be in, but we have been doing our best to accumulate as many points as possible for the Championship. We are happy with that, as we are still in the race, and we will do everything we can to finish this 2026 Dakar Rally. Tomorrow, another marathon stage awaits us, the second week. Let's hope everything goes well," says Alexandre Pinto, taking stock of the start of the second week of the Dakar Rally.
The new stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally, which will take place tomorrow, corresponds to the first part of the second marathon stage, connecting Wadi Ad Dawasir to the bivouac where the teams will spend the night, and again without access to any external assistance. The stage will comprise 410 km of timed sections, plus 122 km of liaison. The second marathon of the Dakar Rally will be another real test of physical, mental, and mechanical endurance. The routes will be rocky and treacherous, requiring speed but also caution in the face of successive changes of pace. At the end of the special stage, a spectacular dune crossing will offer a preview of what is yet to come.
Source: Official Press Release
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