The second part of the sixth stage of the Dakar 2024 began when the sun peeked over the dunes of the Empty Quarter to allow the riders to complete the 48-hour test that the organizers had created as a new challenge for them. There were 626 kilometers timed for the motorbikes, which in the first part had reached the “rest zone” F with the fastest riders.
Among these was Joan Barreda, who after the accident and the fall in the fifth stage, in which he suffered a bad blow to the sternum and arms, despite not suffering any fractures, opened the track in this very complex and full section of dunes. The driver from Torreblanca dropped in the general ranking as the kilometers passed and, one day after starting his adventure in the largest sand desert in the world, he was forced to retire due to a mechanical problem on his Hero.
Joan Barreda
The Spaniard was taking part in his 14th Dakar, a race in which he achieved 29 stage victories, but in this edition he had to withdraw again after stopping at kilometer 529: “Joan Barreda stopped at km 529 due to a problem mechanic and said he would not be able to get back on track. This is a major setback for 'Bang Bang', which was just over three-quarters of an hour late at the start of this 48-hour special. now by his teammate Ross Branch.”
This brings to seven the number of times in which the Spaniard has failed to finish the toughest race in the world, which corresponds to half of his participations. However, the 40-year-old is one of the most successful riders in the history of the specialty, just four stage wins away from the record held by Cyril Despres and Marc Coma. The paradox, however, is that he has never even managed to conquer the podium in the general championship: in fact, his best final results are the two fifth places obtained in 2017 and 2022.
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