Stage 10
Dakar press
08:22 No margin for error
With 22 seconds between Adrien Van Beveren and Kevin Benavides in the general standings, the bike race is a long way from being won, all the more so given that Matthias Walkner and
Toby Price are in with a chance as well as Joan Barreda, who will no doubt be on the attack today. Antoine Meo, Sundays winner, will be hoping to obtain a hat-rick with another stage victory, even if he has to open the way.
11:12 Brabec gets lost again!
Ricky Brabec is obviously not fully awake this morning. The American has strayed from the right track again after 64 km of the special, continuing for more than 3 km before realising his mistake. The official Honda rider is set to lose a lot of time today.
11:39 Benavides opens a gap
Kevin Benavides is maintaining a very high pace on the start of this special and is continuing to increase his lead over his pursuers after almost one hundred kilometres. The Argentinean now leads his team-mate Joan Barreda by 247 and
Toby Price by 315. Adrien Van Beveren has so far lost 5 minutes and the head of the general standings
11:59 Benavides still leads at CP1
Kevin Benavides is not letting up. The Honda rider still boasts a fine lead over his rivals, even if
Toby Price is now keeping pace with him, with a gap that has stabilised at 306. Joan Barreda is 341 behind and Matthias Walkner trails by 532. Adrien Van Beveren is the major loser so far, with a deficit of 628, as is Antoine Meo, 740 behind the stage leader.
13:38 Benavides is quickest at ASS1
For the moment, Kevin Benavides is putting in a faultless performance and has completed the first half of the special with the best time.
Toby Price still lies just over three minutes behind, whilst Adrien Van Beveren is resisting 6 minutes back. As for Joan Barreda, he continues to lose ground, 929 behind the stage leader.
Then this happened
14:52 Meo, Price and Benavides get it wrong
Antoine Meo,
Toby Price and Kevin Benavides have started the second part of the special, in which navigation between river beds has pride of place. The three men are following one another and
have taken the wrong track. They are currently three kilometres from the correct route.
15:45
All the lost riders have now turned back in towards the start of the special! They have lost a huge amount of time. Adrien Van Beveren and Matthias Walkner are likely to be the only riders in the reckoning for victory in the general standings this evening.
16:37 Price is 50 minutes behind!
The first major players in the bike category who got lost earlier in a river bed parallel to the correct track have arrived at WP7. They have paid a hefty price for their mistake:
Toby Price is the first through, 4945 behind Adrien Van Beveren!
17:18 Van Beveren exits the rally
Adrien Van Beveren has been evacuated by the medical teams helicopter. The general standings leader has broken his right collar bone and has also injured his thorax and his spine. His injuries are too severe to be able to complete the remaining 3 km of the special and continue his dream of overall triumph on the Dakar...
17:38 Price loses 49 minutes
Lost like five other leading riders,
Toby Price has also most certainly lost any hope of a second victory on the Dakar in the river beds around Beln. The Australian finished the special 4917 behind his team-mate Matthias Walkner. Ricky Brabec finished 5613 behind the winner whereas Antoine Meo, victorious yesterday, came in one hour later!
17:43 Walkner wins the stage and leads the general standings
Matthias Walkner has won the stage 10 on the Dakar 2018. The Austrian has taken advantage of the navigation error made my most of his rivals on the second part of the special as well as Adrien Van Beverens severe fall 3 kilometres from the finish to win with a lead of 11 minutes over Pablo Quintanilla. The Austrian is also the new rally leader, 39 minutes in front of Joan Barreda!
End of Stage 10 overall
5th Toby Price + 50:18 (19th on the stage, still top five) :Y:
20th Rodney Faggotter + 2:51:04 (13th on the stage) :Y:
68th Scott Britnell + 18:25:33 (54th on the stage) :Y:
Cheers David