The heavy rainfall from the day before gave way to sunny intervals which made the terrain more conducive to racing. It was even ideal for Lorenzo Santolino, who scored his first stage success on the Dakar behind the handlebars of his Sherco
The stay in Bisha, which lasted almost a week and included scrutineering, came to a close when the wind stopped blowing! The Dakar has resumed its nomadic nature, heading northwest towards Al Henakiyah. The riders dropped down by about 500 metres in altitude and especially had to tackle a beginning to the special that was very rocky, before picking up speed on sandy plateaus for approximately 200 kilometres.
Perseverance has paid off for Lorenzo Santolino, who has warmed Spanish supporters’ hearts by winning his first stage on the Dakar on his 7ᵗʰ participation, after the frustration of three premature exits from the rally in the past. This time, he rode seamlessly in climbing up the day’s leaderboard, having been the 11ᵗʰ rider to set off, finally beating Ricky Brabec at the finishing line by 4 minutes.
Daniel Sanders still leads the general rankings, but American Skyler Howes has moved to within 6’51’’ of the Australian. His Monter Energy Honda HRC team-mate Adrien Van Beveren dropped back to 8ᵗʰ place, 16’24’’ behind the leader, due to a fall that shook him up over a certain part of the distance covered.