First stage win for the Monster Energy Honda Team at the 2022 Dakar on Manday. Barreda, the rider with the third highest number of stage victories
With today’s triumph, Joan Barreda now holds a tally of 28 Dakar Rally stage wins. The Monster Energy Honda Team rider is the third most successful motorcycle rider in the rally’s history after Peterhansel and Despres (33). The general standings underwent a slight reshuffle today, with Pablo Quintanilla now in seventh place.
This second stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally brought about some changes as had earlier been predicted.
Downpours over the last few days in the northern part of Saudi Arabia caused some flooding, such as the wash-out at the Al Artawiyah bivouac for the Marathon stage. As a consequence, the organisers yesterday decided to switch the stage 2 destination to the camp set up at Al Qaisumah. The 338.43-kilometre special stage, however, remained intact, but with the riders’ liaison section to the new bivouac lengthened for a total 453-kilometre trek. Dunes were the main feature of the day: a quarter of the timed special stage was made up of various ridges of dunes.
Joan Barreda expressed his satisfaction with the day’s proceedings on reaching Al Qaisumah. The Spaniard, who started from a favourable position to attack, let no-one stand between him and his goal, completing the special with a surplus of five-and-a-half minutes over the stage’s nearest second best rider. José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo was clearly ill at ease on terrain not suited to his style. Elsewhere, American Ricky Brabec – after a dismal stage yesterday where he dropped a lot of time – came out with the intention of whittling down the gap and will hope to improve further over the forthcoming stages.
Pablo Quintanilla was the second RallyGP rider to take the start today. From the chilly bivouac of Ha’il, and after a 183-kilometre liaison section, the Chilean rider tried to keep a close tab on the race leader who had started ahead of him. Quintanilla pressed hard, going on to open the track, but was unable to shake off Sanders. In the end, the handicap of having opened the track had taken its toll with the Chilean making a slight error and losing time but nevertheless managed to limit the damage. The Monster Energy Honda Team rider currently lies in seventh, 12-and-a-half minutes adrift of the leader.
Stage 3 has also been affected due to the change of today’s bivouac. Race organisers yesterday decided to cancel the first sector of the special, so riders will not have to complete the 368-kilometre timed stage. The first riders are expected to arrive back in Al Qaisumah at approximately 13:00.
Joan Barreda
STAGE: 1st OVERALL: 10th
I'm happy with today, especially after yesterday's hard day, where several riders got lost. To make up time in the general standings is good, and we have to be aware that there are ten days ahead and that anything can happen. We are physically in good shape and we are looking forward to it. We have worked all year to get here in good shape, so now is the time to get it all out. I am also happy to be the third rider in the history of the Dakar with the most stage victories. I'm proud of the work I've done over the years and the mark I've left.
Results Stage 2 (Rally GP Classification)
1 Barreda Joan 88 SPA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda 03:31'20
2 Sunderland Sam 3 GBR Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas +00:05'33
3 Benavides Kevin 1 ARG Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +00:05'54
4 Howes Skyler 5 USA Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Husqvarna +00:06'16
5 Price Toby 18 AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +00:07'00
6 Rodrigues Joaquim 27 POR Hero Motorsports Team Rally Hero +00:10'18
7 Svitko Stefan 142 SLO Slovnaft Rally Team KTM +00:10'32
8 Van Beveren Adrien 42 FRA Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team Yamaha +00:11'34
9 Short Andrew 29 USA Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team Yamaha +00:12'02
10 Maré Aaron 6 RSA Hero Motorsports Team Rally Hero +00:12'37
11 Michek Martin 10 CZE Orion Moto Racing Group KTM +00:13'18
12 Gonçalves Rui 19 POR Sherco TVS Rally Factory Sherco +00:13'48
13 Cornejo José Ignacio 11 CHI Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:14'26
14 Walkner Matthias 52 AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +00:14'31
15 Brabec Ricky 2 USA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:15'04
23 Quintanilla Pablo 7 CHI Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:30'53
Standings
1 Sunderland Sam 3 GBR Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 08:31'29
2 Van Beveren Adrien 42 FRA Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team Yamaha +00:02'51
3 Sanders Daniel 4 AUS Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas +00:03'29
4 Walkner Matthias 52 AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +00:04'08
5 Howes Skyler 5 USA Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Husqvarna +00:09'59
6 Santolino Lorenzo 15 SPA Sherco TVS Rally Factory Sherco +00:10'55
7 Quintanilla Pablo 7 CHI Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:12'31
8 Svitko Stefan 142 SLO Slovnaft Rally Team KTM +00:17'39
9 Maré Aaron 6 RSA Hero Motorsports Team Rally Hero +00:18'41
10 Barreda Joan 88 SPA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:20'25
18 Cornejo José Ignacio 11 CHI Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:46'21
19 Brabec Ricky 2 USA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +00:53'51
Honda Rally Team