Arguably the most challenging stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally so far, the timed special on day four covered an exhausting 465 kilometres of fast tracks and more technical rocky sections and river crossings.
Leaving the bivouac in Al Qaisumah early this morning, riders faced a cold liaison section that led them to the start of the special.
Setting off 22nd, Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Danilo Petrucci immediately felt comfortable with the high pace and tricky-to-navigate tracks at the beginning of the special.
Finding himself racing in a group of three, the likeable Italian could match the speed of his more experienced competitors and complete the gruelling stage without issue.
Claiming a top-three stage result in not only his first Dakar but his first-ever rally-raid is a considerable achievement and is a testament to Petrucci’s skill and focus.
Although the former road racer is not eligible to feature in the overall classification due to his DNF on stage two, he will still take every opportunity to deliver his best results and build his experience as the race continues, starting with tomorrow’s stage five, where he will begin to near the front.
Danilo
Danilo Petrucci: “It was a high-speed stage today with some very fast pistes. I was able to ride in a group and had much fun. I enjoyed it. It was such a long stage, but fortunately, I didn’t make any mistakes and was able to find a good rhythm. I learned a lot today, too, so now I’m excited for tomorrow and the rest of the event.”
Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner gave another intense ride, claiming a solid eighth place on the tough special.
This result, and Matthias’ string of consistent finishes, move the Austrian up to second overall in the rally standings – just three minutes exactly from the lead. With an advantageous starting position for Thursday’s stage five, the reigning FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion will be looking to close that gap further.
Matthias
Matthias Walkner: “The navigation was tricky today. The pace was fast, so the notes in the roadbook were coming quickly. You had to be precise on your heading as there were many direction changes.
In the end, I rode in a good group with Kevin Benavides and Adrian Van Beveren, and we kept the excellent speed to the finish without making any mistakes.
Overall, even though it was such a long stage, it went quickly because we were pushing for the whole time. It was fun, and I enjoyed the day.”
Kevin Benavides maintained his position in the top 10 in the overall standings and delivered a quality ride on stage four to place 16th. Benavides used his extensive skill and experience to navigate the technically demanding stage and kept up a solid but measured pace to minimize any mistakes and safely bring his KTM 450 RALLY home.
The Argentinian racer will now be looking to make the best use of his start position on tomorrow’s 341-kilometre special to move further up the event rankings.
Kevin
Kevin Benavides: “It was a tough day today. For the first 100 kilometres, it was freezing out there – my hands were frozen so that I couldn’t ride so good. After that, I began to feel a little better and was able to push.
It was a speedy day again today, but this time with much navigation. The last section of the stage was especially very tough. I think I did a good job, and I’m happy with that.”
As the third rider into the long special, Toby Price soon found himself riding at the front and opening much of the stage.
Despite the problematic navigation and mixed terrain, the two-time Dakar champion could stay consistent and lose the minimum of time on his rivals. Completing the stage in 30th, Toby currently lies 16th in the provisional overall standings.
Toby
Toby Price: “Stage four hasn’t gone too badly. Setting off near the front meant we lost some time, but we expected that, especially after such a long stage.
All-in-all I got through the stage pretty well. I made a couple of small mistakes but was able to keep a good pace and a good rhythm, so happy days.”
Provisional Results Stage Four (overall) – 2022 Dakar Rally
- 1. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 4:06:06
- 2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 4:10:43 +4:37
- 3. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), KTM, 4:12:59 +6:53
- 4. Rui Goncalves (POR), Sherco, 4:14:05 +8:56
- 5. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 4:15:02 +8:56
Other KTM
- 8. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 4:17:51 +11:45
- 16. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 4:23:48 +17:42
- 30. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 4:33:36 +27:30
Provisional Standings – 2022 Dakar Rally after 4 of 12 stages
- 1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 15:30:01
- 2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 16:33:01 +3:00
- 3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 15:34:55 +4:54
- 4. Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS, 15:37:08 +7:07
- 5. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 15:40:29 +10:28
Other KTM
- 10. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 15:55:13 +25:12
- 16. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 16:13:37 +43:36
via KTM
