Dakar 2023: Stage 12 - Lorenzo Santolino is close to the top 10, two stages from the end of the event.

• The Spaniard, who finished 18th today, is eight minutes from tenth place with 290 kilometers of special to go in two days.

For this second part of the marathon stage, the route was similar to that of yesterday, large dunes intersecting the immensity of the desert and the large plateaus, 185 kilometers of special and a long liaison of more than 300 kilometers.
Our Sherco rider started in the lead this morning, after his eighth place yesterday and he was able to take advantage of the tracks left by the drivers who preceded him. After several days of dunes, Santolino began to enjoy the sand of Empty Quarter. 11th overall, his goal is now to catch up with Mason Klein to enter the top 10.
"The day was quite short, similar to Thursday's stage. I felt good, I adapted to the pace, I tried to ride hard in the areas where the visibility was good and stay a little calmer in the more difficult areas. I felt comfortable and I didn't make any piloting or navigation errors. In the end, it's fun to ride in these dunes, especially when there are tracks in front of you and you can anticipate what to expect. I had a great time.”
On January 14th, the 13th stage, will start at the "empty quarter", but the dunes will always be in the spotlight, with long strips of sand. There will be 154 kilometers of special and a long seemingly endless liaison of more than 500 kilometers for riders who are already exhausted.

Ranking for the day:
Lorenzo Santolino: P18, +5mn 48s
Cumulative ranking:
Lorenzo Santolino: P11, +1h 02mn
Tomorrow the riders will set off for the 13th stage, 675 km from Shaybah to Al-Hofuf including 154 km of special.

Source Sherco Factory Racing