2018 Dakar Rally: Stage 8 & 9 Highlights

Toby Price finished in third place on Stage 8, only two minutes and 45 seconds behind his teammate and stage winner, Antoine Meo. Price’s consistently strong stage results elevates him to fourth Overall, just seven minutes and 35 seconds behind Rally leader, Yamaha’s Adrien van Beveren.

Stage 8

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team have completed a very successful Stage 8 of the 2018 Dakar Rally. Antoine Meo claimed his second win in three stages, Toby price finished a very strong third, and Matthias Walkner moved back up to third Overall in the provisional standings following a sixth-place finish. Stage 8 has proven to be one of the toughest of the 2018 event. As the second leg of the rally’s first marathon stage, riders were unable to receive any team assistance overnight and rode today’s 498km timed special with day-old tyres. The wet and slippery conditions called for supreme technical skills on the bike, good navigation and yet more mental strength in order to complete another challenging stage. Setting off ninth this morning at 6.39AM, Antoine Meo was able to chase down the pack in front of him right from the start. Meo led on time through the first six waypoints, with a small mistake then causing him to drop down to second. Pushing hard for the final 100km, the Frenchman took the win at the finish by over a minute from runner-up, Ricky Brabec.

Antoine Meo: “I am really happy with my performance today. Right from the beginning my plan was to push and try to regain some time on the leaders. I felt really good today, despite the conditions and the length of the special, I didn’t make any mistakes. With tomorrow’s stage cancelled, it puts me in the unfortunate position of having to open Tuesday’s stage in the dunes of Argentina. It is always a slight disadvantage to open stages like that, but I’ll do my best and see where I can finish.”

Toby Price again showed why he is a former Dakar champion. The Australian used his experience and skill to maintain a consistent pace, despite the treacherous conditions, and placed a very creditable third at the line.

Toby Price: “It’s been a really long marathon Stage – yesterday was 430km and today was 490km – the two longest of the event. I’m feeling a little bit sore after racing for nearly 1000km, but apparently we have another rest day tomorrow due to the stage being cancelled. I’m not complaining; I could certainly use the time to recharge. But everyone gets the same break and will be fired up and ready to go again on Tuesday. All-in-all, I’m feeling good and the bike is awesome. I know the stages in Argentina are going to be tough and there are still a lot of kilometres to cover, but I’m in a good position and not had any issues. The idea is to just stay focused and keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

One of the riders of the Monster Energy Honda Team grabbing a lot of attention was American Ricky Brabec, who finished second of the day. The Californian appeared at ease in terrain very similar to what he’s used to in the American Baja races, keeping a ferocious pace throughout the day. Brabec’s endeavours allow him to climb to eighth Overall.

Ricky Brabec: “We have finished this second part of the marathon, in which we weren’t allowed to receive any assistance. The type of stage today was very similar to the races we have in California and I felt very comfortable; much more than yesterday, which was horrible for me, because I’m not a rider who likes mud. Today, there were fast tracks and off-piste. The end of the special was good, battling with Antoine Méo. We will continue fighting over the next five days. Every year of the three in which I’ve taken part in the Dakar, stages have been cancelled, which is nothing new. If it’s for our safety, that’s good.”

Provisional Results Stage 8 – 2018 Dakar Rally
1. Antoine Meo (FRA), KTM, 5:24:01
2. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 5:25:09 +1:08
3. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 5:26:46 +2:45
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 5:29:53 +5:52
5. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, 5:30:47 +6:46

Provisional Standings after Stage 8 – 2018 Dakar Rally
1. Adrien van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 27:22:03 
2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 27:22:25 +0:22
3. Matthias Walkner (AUT), 27:28:37 +6:34
4. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 27:29:38 +7:35
5. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 27:30:04 +8:01

Stage 9

Today, there was no Stage 9 to ride in the 2018 Dakar. The organisation yesterday decided to annul the final special stage to be disputed on Bolivian soil after heavy flooding and swollen rivers wreaked havoc in the area. The riders and assistant vehicles nevertheless had to complete the 520km stretch, which separates the camps at Tupiza, Bolivia and Salta, Argentina.

The tenth stage, which links the bivouacs of Salta and Belén, will feature a total of 797km, including 424km against the clock. A crucial sand and dune-filled stage, with a final stint that will require some deft navigation, could prove to be decisive towards the Overall results as the race heads into its final days. The final classification of tomorrow’s stage (motorcycles, quad, cars, SSV and trucks) will dictate the starting order of the coming Super-Fiambalá stage, the next marathon stage.