Dakar 2023: António Maio keeps top 20 despite the difficulties

António Maio, completed the second stage of the Dakar Rally, which takes place in Saudi Arabia, completing the 430 km that made up the special today in 5h44m11s which allowed him to remain in the Top 20 of the general classification of motorcycles. The journey that linked Sea Camp to Al-Ula proved to be complex due to the many stone tracks that were part of the route. Despite the difficulties, the Yamaha rider with the number 30 managed to get through this day even without the rear brake collaboration, which stopped working at the beginning of the special stage.

"It was a very hard stage. Right in the first kilometers I lost the rear brake and it was very complicated to manage the race in these conditions. The course was difficult because it had a lot of rock and some hazards along the way. So, I chose to keep a calm pace in order not to fall. Without the rear brake, it was impossible to go fast, and it was a pity because there were areas that were very much my style to accelerate in. However, I couldn't take any risks and so I opted for a more cautious management to be able to finish today's journey. The bike is a little battered, a reflection of the hardness of the special, but we are well and in shape and tomorrow another day awaits us," said the major of the GNR, who finished the selective sector in 24th position.

Tomorrow is the third stage of this Dakar 2023. The competitors will leave the bivouac to start a journey that will link Al-Ula to Ha-Il and will comprise a total of 669.15 km of which 447 will be disputed against the clock.

Despite the beauty of the course, which David Castera described as having "perhaps the most beautiful fifty kilometers of the rally", the drivers will be too focused on the race. Overall, this stage has the potential to "shake up" the standings, in all categories.

Automatic translation from the original Portuguese version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source Antonio Maio official press release