During the second day of scrutineering hosted in Rosario in Argentina, Cyril Despres and Laia Sanz started the parade of riders aiming for the title in the bike category. Now the predictions can start, but to see the competitors to do battle on the tracks, we will have to wait for Sunday and the first of the 9,000 kilometres…
To a certain extent, Rosario changed its appearance in more ways than one in the night of 2nd to 3rd January. The grey sky left its place to dazzling sunshine and the arrival of certain major favourites for the 36th edition of the rally set the scrutineering site buzzing as is traditional when the start is only a short time away. In the morning, the Yamaha team, transformed by the arrival of Cyril Despres amongst its ranks, set the tone in demonstrating their ambitions. After a collective photo session in front of the City Center in Rosario, the men in blue thronged into the venue, in a relaxed and confident mood.
The both ambitious but prudent atmosphere that reigns within the group could be sensed by reading in between the lines of the declarations made by their leader, who is seeking a sixth title: “I'm used to battling it out at the front, but this time there is an extra source of motivation... it's the first time that I've changed the brand of bike I ride!” Whilst Despres justifiably sees his 13th Dakar as one of his biggest tests, his rivals who were in attendance today will also be getting stuck in to a mighty challenge. As for Honda, Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues was reserved in analysing his chances of victory: “I'm here to ride a good Dakar, first and foremost”.
Multiple FIM Woment Enduro and trial championship winner Sanz was full of confidence. “I'm very happy because I've got a great bike, better than the ones I've ridden before. The team is also functioning really well and the atmosphere is very good. My only regret is to not have had enough time to prepare specifically for the Dakar, but I've had a very busy season and I couldn't have done it any differently", she said.
"Last year, I had a good Dakar and which I didn't manage to build on. But you always learn something from circumstances like those. This year, concentration will be the key, especially on the marathon stages. Avoiding mechanical problems will be important too. I think this year's edition will be particularly difficult. The fact that we'll be separated several times from the cars means that it will be very technical, but that could also be to my advantage”.