Dakar Rally SS8: Second place for Nani Roma
01/16/2019
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Przygonski continues to impress with a consistent performance
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Tomorrow’s start format: mass start
Today’s stage from Marcona to Pisco saw the top ten cars and motorcycles, and the top five trucks, start ahead of the rest of the field. The starting positions were determined by the times set on yesterday’s stage. Two MINI JCW Rally crews had qualified for this so-called “Super Ica”, as had the three buggies in the X-raid MINI JCW team. Jakub Kuba Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) finished an excellent third. Joan Nani Roma and Alex Haro (both ESP) came home fifth, followed by their team-mates Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA) and Timo Gottschalk (GER). Boris Garafulic (CHI) and Filipe Palmeiro (POR) were 12th fastest. Orlando Terranova and Bernardo Ronnie Graue (both ARG) once again won the half-marathon category in the MINI JCW Rally.
Przygonski showed once again what could have been were it not for gearbox damage. “We had to cross a lot of soft dunes, in which there were a lot of rocks hidden,” said the Pole. “Despite this, we still pushed hard and I don’t think we could have hoped for any more than that today.”
It was also a good day for Roma, who continues to make steady progress. “It was another tough day. We got stuck briefly on one occasion. It was pretty chaotic in the dunes, with competitors all over the place,” reported Roma. “Unfortunately, I did not see Stéphane. I did have the tracks of the top motorcyclists ahead of me, but they drive simply drive straight up almost every dune. We cannot do that. However, we are satisfied and are now second overall. Tomorrow, we will continue where we left off today. It does not make any sense to go flat out. We have to remain calm and see what happens.”
Al-Rajhi and Gottschalk had not qualified for the “Super Ica” yesterday. As a result, they started a few hours later than some of their team-mates. However, that did not slow them down. “We took a calm approach,” said the Saudi. “That is the key at the moment. We want to get through to the finish and hang onto our position in the top ten.”
Tomorrow’s leg is the penultimate stage of the Dakar. This time, the crews do not start the stage individually, but in groups of four vehicles at a time. They then face 313 kilometers against the clock.
Rally Dakar – Result SS8
1. Sebastian Loeb (FRA) / Daniel Elena (FRA) Peugeot – 3h 54m 53s
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota – 4h 02m 20s
3. Kuba Przygonski (POL) / Tom Colsoul (BEL) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 10m 08s
4. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (GER) Toyota – 4h 10m 48s
5. Nani Roma (ESP) / Alex Haro (ESP) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 10m 50s
6. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU) / Timo Gottschalk (GER) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 17m 44s
7. Martin Prokop (CZE) / Jan Tomanek (CZE) Ford – 4h 23m 29s
8. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) / David Castera (FRA) MINI JCW Buggy – 4h 26m 34s
9. Pierre Lachaume (FRA) / Jean Michel Polato (FRA) Peugeot – 4h 31m 15s
10. Ronan Chabot (FRA) / Gilles Pillot (FRA) Toyota – 4h 36m 09s
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12. Boris Garafulic (CHL) / Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 46m 47s
Rally Dakar – Overall result after SS8
1. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota – 29h 15m 50s
2. Nani Roma (ESP) / Alex Haro (ESP) MINI JCW Rally – 30h 02m 19s
3. Sebastian Loeb (FRA) / Daniel Elena (FRA) Peugeot – 30h 02m 35s
4. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) / David Castera (FRA) MINI JCW Buggy – 30h 09m 20s
5. Cyril Despres (FRA) / Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA) MINI JCW Buggy – 31h 31m 17s
6. Kuba Przygonski (POL) / Tom Colsoul (BEL) MINI JCW Rally – 31h 35m 40s
7. Martin Prokop (CZE) / Jan Tomanek (CZE) Ford – 32h 11m 57s
8. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU) / Timo Gottschalk (GER) MINI JCW Rally – 33h 10m 47s
9. Carlos Sainz (ESP) / Lucas Cruz (ESP) MINI JCW Buggy – 35h 58m 05s
10. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (GER) Toyota – 36h 16m 51s
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17. Boris Garafulic (CHL) / Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) MINI JCW Rally – 39h 36m 36s
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