The T4 category was resolved on the last day of the 44th edition of the Dakar Rally. This circumstance should be synonymous with a tight and exciting ending, but nothing is further from the truth. The truth is that the category of ‘Side by Side’ derived from series has had Austin Jones as champion thanks to the invaluable help of Gerard Farrés, above all because the Catalan rider has complied with the team’s orders as a backpacker and He has delivered the victory to his leader in the last stage.
It is true that there have been many variations within the T4 category, even if the race has moved to the pace of the Can-Am and South Racing drivers. In fact, the rally started with Aron Domzala leading the general, although Austin Jones took over from his partner very soon. With remarkable equality, the Brazilian Rodrigo Luppi de Oliveira and the Gozcal brothers were running as alternatives to the established hegemonic force. In fact, Luppi de Oliveira closed the first week at the head of the general classification.
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Austin Jones recovered the first position of the classification in the seventh stage, already escorted by Gerard Farrés in second position. His three immediate pursuers carried the ballast of sanctions that had taken them away from their heads. An especially heavy slab for Michal Gozcal, located 20 minutes behind the leader with a 32-minute penalty. Nevertheless, the Polish pilot did not lower his arms and managed to reduce his disadvantage with the leader in several minutes in the following three days. But nevertheless, the race seemed decided for Austin Jones, with Gerard Farrés as squire.
What Austin Jones did not count on is the mechanical problems of his Can-Am in the queen stage of the Dakar. Without all-wheel drive on his vehicle, the American had to face a tough day with only two-wheel drive. Jones went from having almost twelve minutes of rent on Farrés to falling behind the Catalan, standing 1 minute and 41 seconds behind ‘Farreti’. However, the Spanish rider was not a threat as a backpacker, since above all he has been true to his word.
The last day of the Dakar unfolded according to the script provided by Can-Am. Even if Gerard Farrés was faster than his leader in the first half of the special, the Catalan rider raised his foot in the last section of the special to hand over the victory to Austin Jones. The Can-Am and South Racing double became a triple with the final ‘rush’ of Rokas Baciuska, since the Lithuanian pilot, co-piloted by the Spanish Oriol Mena, took the third final position after beating the two Goczal brothers.