The participation of the Yamaha rider in the Dakar 2022 is still pending. Sara Garcia arrived in Jeddah last Monday and underwent a PCR test by the organization. After testing positive for COVID-19, she was informed that it could not kick off on January 1, but due to the increase in the number of infections, the competitors were tested again.
The Spaniard will undergo a new test on Thursday and, depending on the result, she may or may not be able to participate in what would be her fourth Dakar.
“The ASO protocol in principle was to stay in quarantine for seven days,” explained Sara Garcia from Jeddah to Teledeporte. “There was no second test. This morning they changed the protocol. We have to come here for another PCR and wait for the result. Let’s see if it changes and it was a false positive since we took all precautions. I was negative in one. previous PCR and Javi is negative too. I’ve been locked up with him this past week. It seems very strange to me. Let’s wait and see what happens. “
The curious thing, in fact, is that Sara in recent days has only had contact with her teammate Javi Vega, also in the race, who instead passed the test. This makes them pretty sure it’s a false positive.
“We were among the first to arrive on the 27th,” said Javi Vega. “The same day we took the test and the next day we got the results. I tested negative and she tested positive, which is a bit strange because we live together and sleep in the same bed. At first they told her she was out. race. That her adventure is over. However, many people tested positive and are about to repeat the test to see if they are lucky. We have to wait a few days. For the moment, Sara is out of the race. Tomorrow (December 30) they will take the test to see if it is negative and on the 31st we will have a result. In the meantime, I am preparing everything on the bike, so if it starts it will have a perfect bike “.
After having participated in three editions of the Dakar in the Original by Motul, therefore without assistance, the Spaniard was about to face a new stage in her sporting career in 2022, because she would have to compete with the official support of Yamaha, for the first time with assistance.
Sara Garcia retired in 2019, making her debut in the Dakar, but then gradually improved, finishing 86th in 2020 and 44th in 2021.
On these three occasions she had ridden a modified Yamaha enduro, but for this edition she would have had a Yamaha WRF 450 Rally Replica, which should offer her greater mechanical reliability and improve last year’s ranking.
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