Dakar2107: Stage 8. Sunderland 20 minutes clear

With 1 hour and 10 minutes to make up on Sam Sunderland in the general standings, Joan Barreda has to hope for a miracle to win the Dakar, but he needs to start with winning special stages, as he did today in Salta. However, for Sébastien Loeb, his third stage success on the rally allowed him to takeover the lead in the general standings.

Focus

The Dakar left the high plains and headed towards Argentina along a route initially comprising off-piste and crossing of fords combined with negotiating dunes. However, the competitors were once again victims of the weather and the rain of the previous days caused rivers to swell and flood, forcing the organisers to change the route with a neutralised section at the end of the Bolivian part of the special.

The essentials

Without any pressure in the general standings, Joan Barreda can now ride freely and attack when he wants. This is a state of mind that he especially likes and one that allowed him to pick up his second special stage victory in 2017 with a considerable lead over the official KTM bikes ridden by Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland, who again increased his lead in the general standings.

Provisional standings after Stage 8

1. SUNDERLAND, Sam (GBR)
2. QUINTANILLA, Pablo (CHL) +20:58
3. VAN BEVEREN, Adrien (FRA) +28:49
4. WALKNER, Matthias (AUT) +34:14
5. FARRES, Guell Gerard (ESP) +34:24
6. DE SOULTRAT, Xavier (FRA) +50:10
7. RENET, Pierre Alexandre (FRA) +01hour:08m:09s
8. GONÇALVES, Paulo (PRT) +01hour:08m:34
9. BARREDA BORT, Joan (ESP) +01hour:10m:53s
10. RODRIGUES, Joaquim (PRT) +01hour:36m:00s

15. SMITH, Todd (AUS) +02hour:01m:56s

55. HART, Matthew (AUS) +06hour:26m:36s