The first stage of the Dakar 2013 got underway with the participants taking a 250 km transfer from Lima to Pisco where they competed in a short 13 km special test in the dunes overlooking the sea.
The Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain made a decisive team effort prior to the next stages to be held in the Peruvian sands. The best proved to be Joan Barreda who clocked up the same time as team-mate Alessandro Botturi, taking tenth and eleventh places respectively in the final standings of the first special test. Paulo Goncalves too, put in a good effort coming in thirteenth and Matt Fish fourty-fifth.
Tomorrow the participants will get their first real taste of the Dakar race with a tough special test, la Pisco – Pisco which features 242 km (151 miles) of sand and a transfer of 85 km (52 miles).
Joan Barreda: “Everything went really well today. I wanted to finish in the top ten and that’s the way that it worked out. It’s a great position for tomorrow’s stage.”
Alessandro Botturi: ”It was a shame about a silly fall that I had that set me back about twenty seconds, otherwise I would have been able to finish in the first three. I couldn’t wait to get into this race, and my enthusiasm got the better of me. ”
Paulo Goncalves: ”I took care to get through the stage consistently and without errors. The sand was very treacherous and it would have been easy to make mistakes. Anyway, we are all well placed for tomorrow’s stage."
First stage and overall standings:
1. Lopez (CHL, KTM)
2. Verhoeven (NLD, Yamaha) 0:01 min behind,
3. Quintanilla (CHL, Honda) 0:05
4. Cabrera (CHL, Kawasaki) 0:11
5. Despres (FRA, KTM) 0:13
10. Joan Barreda (ESP, Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain) 0:29
11. Alessandro Botturi (ITA, Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain) 0:29
13. Paulo Goncalves (PRT, Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain) 0:32
45. Matt Fish (AUS, Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain) 1:10