The second stage of the 2013 Dakar was claimed by the in-form Joan Barreda Bort (Husqvarna/Michelin). The Spaniard finished more than three minutes clear of Juan Pedrero and was five minutes faster than Matt Fish. Cyril Despres lost further time after getting lost and has fallen to 12th position.
Leg 2: Pisco-Pisco (327km)
The second day of this year’s Dakar remained in the Pisco/Ica area, a region favoured by tourists thanks to the Paracas National Reservation (Peru’s equivalent to the Galapagos) and the Ballestas Islands which are home to pelicans, penguins, cormorants, etc.
Paracas sits on the Pacific coast and its luxury hotels and residences contrast with nearby Pisco, some 80 percent of which was destroyed in an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in 2007.
The planet didn’t have time tremble under the wheels of Joan Barreda Bort’s Husqvarna Rally 450 RR/Michelin today, however. After emerging as one of the revelations of the 2012 event, the Catalonian biker won this year’s SS2 by a margin of 3m16s over his compatriot Juan Pedrero (KTM/Michelin).
“I decided to push hard today,” reported the rally’s new leader at the finish control. “Unfortunately, like a few other riders, I made a big navigational error shortly after the start. After getting back onto the right track, the rest of the day went well.”
“The navigation was tricky at times and there was some very soft sand in places. It won’t be easy for the cars,” commented David Casteu who was seventh-fastest today. A high number of competitors had trouble finding the Waypoint at Km74, including Paulo Gonçalves (Husqvarna/Michelin).
In contrast, everything went well for Casteu’s Australian team-mate Matt Fish who was third, ahead of Ruben Faria who finished well clear of his own team-mate, Cyril Despres. The KTM/Michelin star lost more than 10 minutes: “I veered too far to the right of the correct heading and found myself in another valley, but all the scenery looks the same here. I was with three other riders and it wasn’t easy.”
Yesterday’s pace-setter Chaleco Lopez from Chile dropped 18 minutes and has fallen to 20thoverall.
Stage 2 classification:
1, Barreda (Husqvarna), 2h42m31s. 2, Pedrero (KTM), +3m16s. 3, Fish (Husqvarna), +5m53s. 4, Faria (KTM), +6m26s. 5, Caselli (KTM), 7m10s. Etc.
Provisional positions after Leg 2:
1, Barreda (Husqvarna), 3h24m11s. 2, Faria (KTM), +5m36s. 3, Pedrero (KTM), +6m36s. 4, Casteu (Yamaha), +6m58s. 5, Despres (KTM), +8m50s. Etc.
from motoracinglive
