The Chilean Nacho Cornejo has achieved victory in the ninth stage of the Dakar, a special that was held in a loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir. The Honda rider completed the timed section in 2 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, a record that has served him well. to beat Kevin Benavides by 1 minute and 26 seconds. In the traditional back and forth between the pilots who open the track and those who start in late positions, Matthias Walkner has positioned himself as the new leader in the motorcycle category, although six ‘motard’ are in less than 11 minutes in the general.
Motorcycles
Fifteenth in the starting order, after winning the seventh stage and suffering yesterday, Nacho Cornejo has returned by his jurisdiction to conquer the victory in the ninth special. The Chilean ‘motard’ surpassed Kevin Benavides by almost a minute and a half, while Ricky Brabec was third at 1 minute and 47 seconds. For its part, Matthias Walkner finished in fourth position, although this result is enough to place him as the new leader. In the end, Sam Sunderland burdened by opening the track has lost six minutes with Walkner, every time the Austrian KTM rider has entered the finish line alongside the British.
Joan Barreda was fifth on the stage and ranks sixth overall, 10 minutes and 57 seconds behind Matthias Walkner, after practically tracing the time of the leader in the special. The Castellón remains like this in the fight for the ‘Touareg’, although it is true that Chilean Pablo Quintanilla is for now Honda’s most advanced option being 4 minutes and 41 seconds behind the leader and starting tomorrow in more backward positions. Ahead of both in the general is Adrien Van Beveren, leader yesterday and third now after giving up five minutes at the end of the day.
Although in the dynamics of ups and downs that are experienced in the motorcycle category today it was his turn to be among the best ‘motards’, Lorenzo Santolino has had a difficult special that takes him away almost completely from the fight for the ‘Touareg’. In fact, the Salamanca rider is seventh overall, 26 minutes and 54 seconds behind the leader after finishing outside the ‘top 20’ of the stage after giving up 11 minutes and 36 seconds. Although the Sherco driver will have an unbeatable starting position tomorrow, it seems very difficult for him to make up for lost time. With his victory in today’s stage, Nacho Cornejo gets into the ninth position of the general.