DANILO PETRUCCI THIRD FASTEST ON DAKAR RALLY STAGE FOUR

Dakar Rally 2022 – Stage Four

Danilo Petrucci has finished as the top KTM rider on today’s fast and long stage four, claiming an outstanding third-place result. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Matthias Walkner brought his KTM 450 RALLY home in eighth place, to move up to second in the provisional overall standings, with Kevin Benavides finishing 16th, and Toby Price 30th.

Arguably the toughest stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally so far, the timed special on day four covered an exhausting 465 kilometers 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 was able to match the pace of his more experienced competitors and complete the grueling stage without issue. Claiming a top-three stage result in not only his first Dakar but his first ever rally-raid is a huge achievement and is 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 start near the front.

Danilo Petrucci: “It was a really fast stage today with some very fast pistes. I was able to ride in a group and had a lot of fun, I really 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 really excited for tomorrow and the rest of the event.”

Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner put in another strong ride, claiming a solid eighth place on the tough special. This result, and Matthias’ string of consistent finishes, moves 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 further close that gap.

Matthias Walkner: “The navigation was tricky today. The pace was fast and so the notes in the roadbook were coming really quickly, you had to be really precise on your heading as there were many changes of direction. In the end, I rode in a good group with Kevin Benavides and Adrian Van Beveren, and we kept good speed to the finish without making any mistakes. Overall, even though it was such a long stage it went really quickly because we were pushing for the whole time. It was fun and I enjoyed the day.”

Maintaining his position inside the top 10 in the overall standings, Kevin Benavides also delivered a quality ride on stage four to place 16th. Using his extensive skill and experience to navigate through the technically demanding stage, Benavides kept up a strong, but measured, pace to minimize any mistakes and bring his KTM 450 RALLY home safely. The Argentinian racer will now be looking to make the best use of his start position on tomorrow’s 341-kilometer special to move further up the event rankings.

Kevin Benavides: “It was a really hard day today. For the first 100 kilometers it was really cold out there – my hands were frozen so I couldn’t ride so good. After that I began to feel a little better and was able to push. It was a very fast day again today, but this time with a lot of 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 difficult navigation and mixed terrain, the two-time Dakar champion was able to 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 Price: “Stage four hasn’t gone too badly. Setting off near the front meant we lost a bit of 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

More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory Racing:

GASGAS FACTORY RACING’S SAM SUNDERLAND EXTENDS DAKAR RALLY LEAD

FORMER DAKAR CHAMP CONTINUES TO IMPRESS AS TEAMMATE DANIEL SANDERS MOVES TO FOURTH IN THE PROVISIONAL STANDINGS

Sam Sunderland continues to lead the 2022 Dakar Rally with the British racer now enjoying a three-minute advantage over his closest rival in the provisional overall standings! Chasing down the leading riders from his 17th place starting position on today’s 465-kilometer special, the Brit would ultimately complete the stage as the seventh fastest rider. For GASGAS Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders, the Aussie was on a charge all day, opening much of the special and finishing the stage in 17th to move up to fourth in the general rankings.

Sam Sunderland maintains Dakar Rally lead

Over 15 hours of rally racing now complete

Sanders opened much of today’s stage four

Sam Sunderland: “Things were going well today until I had a small crash in a riverbed while checking my roadbook. I just clipped a rock and that was all it took to take me down. I was able to get up pretty quickly, just as Barreda came by, so I latched onto him to the finish. I’ll get some rest now and prepare myself for tomorrow.”

Daniel Sanders rocketed forwards from his fifth place starting position on stage four, opening the challenging special from the 158-kilometer mark. With vast, rolling sand dunes in front of him, Chucky skillfully navigated across more than 300 kilometers to successfully reach the finish line in Riyadh. Going on to complete the stage as the 17th fastest rider he underlined the solid effort he’s putting in on his GASGAS RC 450F Rally.

Daniel Sanders: “I got off to a really good start today and caught up to the leaders pretty quickly. After refueling there was a group of us opening the stage and then after a tricky spot with navigation it was me and Skyler Howes who broke free initially. Then I pushed on to lead on my own. Near the end I jumped off the top of a dune and I landed on a grassy mound, which wasn’t ideal, and I was really lucky not to crash there. But I cracked on with it and was able to finish the stage without any further issues. So all-in-all, a decent day for me.”

Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2022, stage 4

1. Joan Barreda (Honda) 4:06:06

2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 4:10:43

3. Danilo Petrucci (KTM) 4:12:59

7. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 4:16:21

17. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 4:24:34

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 4)

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 15:30:01

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 15:33:01

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 15:34:55

4. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 15:37:08

More, from a press release issued by Husqvarna Factory Racing:

TOP-FIVE RESULT FOR BENAVIDES ON DAKAR DAY FOUR

HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER DELIVERS BEST STAGE FINISH SO FAR WITH STRONG FIFTH-PLACE RESULT

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has put in an exceptionally strong performance on the long, 465-kilometre timed special on day four of the 2022 Dakar Rally to secure a fifth-place stage finish. The Argentinian moves up five places in the event standings to 20th. Teammate Skyler Howes, who set off as the fourth rider into the special due to his result from Tuesday’s stage three, placed 21st, successfully defending his top-10 placing in the overall standings.

An early start welcomed the riders for today’s fourth full stage of the rally, and with a long and more technically demanding route ahead of them than on previous days, all competitors had to stay fully focused and committed for the entirety of the special. Accomplishing just that, Luciano Benavides completed the 465 kilometres in just over four hours, making the minimum of mistakes while moving up through the field to ultimately claim fifth place. The number 77 continues to claw back the time he lost on the tough first stage of the rally and now sits 20th in the provisional overall standings. He will set off fifth on Thursday’s 341-kilometre special, looking to make up even more time on those in front.

Faced with the task of starting fourth into the longest stage of the event, Skyler Howes knew a consistent day of racing would be necessary to lose the minimum of time to his chasing rivals. The American star was able to not only do that but also maintain a speed that placed him a commendable 21st when he reached the stage finish. Although he dropped four places in the standings, Skyler still sits in an excellent eighth overall heading into stage five.

Luciano Benavides: “Stage four was a really long stage – the longest of the rally, so I’m happy to finish well and inside the top five. I kept focused on my navigation and it paid off, I was able to catch and pass some riders ahead of me, and I was able to keep a good speed for the whole stage without any big mistakes. The result is really encouraging, especially after such a tough day on stage one where a lot of us lost a lot of time. The bike is perfect and now I’m really looking forward to pushing hard for the rest of the race.”

Skyler Howes: “Things went well for me today, and I’m pleased with how I rode the stage. After yesterday’s decent result, I started right near the front and the navigation was just tricky enough that we soon ended up in a group riding together. We all took it in turns to open and it meant although we didn’t make up too much time on those around us, we didn’t lose that much time to those behind. I made it to the finish line without having to correct too many mistakes, so I’m happy with that. I lost a bit of time, but that’s understandable, so I’ll regroup and push some more tomorrow.”

2022 Dakar Rally – Stage 4 Provisional Classification

1. Joan Barreda (Honda) 4:06:06

2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 4:10:43

3. Rui Goncalves (Sherco) 4:14:05

4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 4:15:02

5. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 4:16:01

6. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 4:16:21

…

21. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 4:27:42

2022 Dakar Rally – Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 4)

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 15:30:01

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 15:33:01

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 15:34:55

4. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 15:37:08

5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 15:40:29

6. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 15:41:14

…

8. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 15:45:17

20. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 16:31:55

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Honda Team:

Monster Energy Honda Team one-two for Barreda and Quintanilla on the Dakar’s longest special

Joan Barreda pushed his Honda CRF450 RALLY to the limit over the 465 kilometres of today’s special – the longest of the Dakar Rally – to finish with the day’s top time at the finish in Riyadh. Chilean rider Pablo Quintanilla put the icing on the cake for Monster Energy Honda Team by clinching the runner-up spot.

79% dirt, 12% dunes, 7% sand and 2% dried-out lake were on the menu for the longest stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally, with a 465-kilometre special and a total trek of 707 kilometres. A trial by fire for all those involved. There was a mix of different terrain types to be negotiated and some navigation too. All in all, a high-paced affair that would begin to mark out the riders who will end up in possible contention for the final Dakar prize.

The starting order for this fourth day set the stage for a promising race, particularly for Joan Barreda who came out guns blazing, firmly intent on victory, but also on improving his position in the general standings. With flawless riding and navigational prowess, the Spanish rider reached the finish-line in Riyadh the clear winner and currently holds seventh position, just over thirteen minutes shy of the overall leader. Tomorrow, Barreda will open the track with his rivals in hot pursuit. Joan was penalised one minute for exceeding the speed limit in a radar zone.

Pablo Quintanilla also performed well. An advantageous starting position also helped him follow the trail of his team-mate. The Chilean turned out a very steady stage, consistently among the top three, climbing up one position in the order in the latter half of the day. Quinta’ improves on his position in the table and now lies sixth, eleven minutes and thirteen seconds behind the race leader.

Ricky Brabec, who set off from sixth this morning in Al Qaisumah, had a fairly good day, posting tenth, but Brabec also received a two-minute penalty for speeding in a controlled area. While, José Ignacio Cornejo finished twelfth, looking more at ease on the bike as the days go by, in spite of a minor navigation mistake earlier in the special.

Tomorrow’s stage

Stage 5: 214 kilometres of liaison sections, 346 kilometres of special stage, making a total of 560 kilometres on the day. Starting and finishing at the bivouac in Riyadh, competitors will face a new loop on this Dakar, although it won’t be the last one. The changes of terrain from dirt to stone-littered tracks will put a strain on the physiques of even the toughest riders in the opening half of the special. If that were not enough, then 50 kilometres of dunes will divide the wheat from the chaff.

Ricky Brabec  2

STAGE: 10TH  OVERALL: 17TH

Today’s stage was good. It was the longest stage of the rally and was supposed to be the most difficult, but as it was the longest it was good to make up or lose a lot of time. Today was a good day for us. We did well. We caught the front group around the second refuelling, so there we rode as a group together. I did a good job. I didn’t lose too much time. I lost some time to my team-mate Joan who was wild. He was on the gas and him and Pablo are doing great. If we were to delete the first day, I think that the team would be sitting one-two-three. It’s rally things, like this happen. I suffered a speeding penalty today – my mistake. I sped into the speed zone a little bit late. I lost huge on the first day and I’m kicking myself. It’s a long race and we have many days left.

Pablo Quintanilla  7

STAGE: 2ND  OVERALL: 6TH

It was a long special, without too much navigation and with a dune sector of about 50 kilometres. I’m happy with the way I rode today, I tried to push from the back. I was expecting more complicated navigation. I felt comfortable, at ease, with good pace and focused on the roadbook, so as not to miss any tracks and be able to make up some minutes in the general standings.

José Ignacio Cornejo  11

STAGE: 12TH  OVERALL: 16TH

Today was a good stage; the longest special stage of the rally. The intention was to push to try to make up time. It was a very fast stage and the gaps were not very big. I made a slight mistake where I lost about three minutes. Apart from that, it was a solid, all-round day and I’m happy about that. I had some good pace and I feel good on the bike, which is working perfectly. We have to hope for some difficult days ahead so that we can take advantage of the navigation to try to recover and move up in the general standings.

Joan Barreda  88

STAGE: 1ST  OVERALL: 7TH

I’m very happy with today. It was a very good stage and I achieved another win. We did a very good job from the first moment of the special. We had different terrains: sandy tracks, dunes, rocks and with some navigation. I tried to keep calm, follow our course, but pushing hard and I think we did a great job and I’m very satisfied and happy with it.