The new year kicked off the 2022 edition of the Dakar. A soft start in quotes for the protagonists in the race because, if on the one hand it is true that the timed kilometers were only 19, it is equally true that they had over 700 transfer kilometers to travel from Jeddah to Ha’il.
These first 19 kilometers, however, could have a very important implication in the first real stage which will be held tomorrow, given that the first 15 will be able to choose their starting position for tomorrow morning in reverse order (from 15th to first). But we must not forget that today’s times will already make the standings and that in the case of the bikes there was a coefficient of 5.
If a good day starts in the morning, it is interesting to note that in the first four positions we saw four different brands represented, with the Australian Daniel Sanders who gave the first paw to the Dakar at GasGas.
Just like in Moto3, the Spanish bike is nothing more than a rebranded KTM and this year in Mattighofen they decided to focus strongly on their second brand too because they passed the best rookie of the past edition and the winner of the last edition under its colors. 2017 edition, the British Sam Sunderland.
Fourth, but lacking in stage victories last season, Sanders therefore got off to a good start in this first timed section, which despite being short already had all the hallmarks of this edition, with a prevalence of sand and dunes. In the end, taking into account the increased coefficient, the time of the GasGas standard bearer was 55’30 “.
Behind him, one minute away, we find the Chilean Pablo Quintanilla, who this year passed from Husqvarna to the official Honda team, in which he took the place of the winner of the last edition, the Argentine Kevin Benavides, who in the shoes again KTM works driver set the fourth fastest time with a two minute delay.
Ross Branch slipped between the two South Americans, author of an excellent start with his Yamaha. The Botswana driver preceded Benavides by 5 “. However, the men in the classification are practically all among those who will be able to choose the starting position for tomorrow’s stage.
Continuing to run the times, in fifth position is Matthias Walkner (KTM) at 2’35 “, followed by Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) at 2’40” and the tandem made up of two veterans like Sunderland and Toby Price (KTM ), who returns after the bad accident of last year, both behind by 2’55 “. The picture of the top ten positions is then completed with Joan Barreda (Honda) and Andrew Short (Yamaha), trailing by 3 ‘.
Only 12th at 3’55 “was the winner of the 2020 edition, the American Ricky Brabec, who with his Honda also finished behind Joaquim Rodrigues’ Hero. 13th time instead for the first of the Husqvarna, which is that of another Benavides, Luciano, who pays 4’05 “.
As for the guys in our house, the best was Danilo Petrucci. The former MotoGP rider had feared he would not be able to take off after testing positive for COVID-19. Yesterday, however, a negative buffer arrived that allowed him to start and today he set the 23rd fastest time, with a gap of 7’30 “. Not bad if you consider that he has two factory riders like José behind him. Cornejo (Honda) and Skyler Howes (Husqvarna), who are respectively in 25th and 26th position.
In the first fifty positions we also find Lorenzo Fanottoli and Paolo Lucci, respectively in 37th and 40th position. The adventure of veteran Franco Picco on the Fantic began instead with the 92nd time and a gap of just over 25 minutes.
Quad: Andujar picks up where he left off
As for the twenty protagonists competing among the Quads, the winner of the last edition Manuel Andujar immediately made it clear that he wanted to defend his scepter. The Argentine driver preceded the French Alexandre Giroud by 19 “and the Chilean Giovanni Enrico by 31”. Even in this case, however, the coefficient had to be applied, so in general the gaps are respectively 1’35 “and 2’35”.
Dakar 2022 – General motorcycle ranking after the Prologue
Pos | Pilot | Motorcycle | Time / Gap |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Daniel Sanders | GasGas | 55’30 “ |
2 | Pablo Quintanilla | Honda | +1 “00 |
3 | Ross Branch | Yamaha | + 1’55 “ |
4 | Kevin Benavides | KTM | + 2’00 “ |
5 | Matthias Walkner | KTM | + 2’35 “ |
6 | Adrien van Beveren | Yamaha | + 2’40 “ |
7 | Sam Sunderland | GasGas | + 2’55 “ |
8 | Toby Price | KTM | + 2’55 “ |
9 | Joan Barreda | Honda | + 3’00 “ |
10 | Andrew Short | Yamaha | + 3’00 “ |
Dakar 2022 – The Italians after the Prologue
Pos | Pilot | Motorcycle | Time / Gap |
---|---|---|---|
23 | Danilo Petrucci | KTM | + 7’30 “ |
37 | Lorenzo Fanottoli | Husqvarna | + 12’15 “ |
40 | Paolo Lucci | Husqvarna | + 13’30 “ |
52 | Giovanni Gritti | Honda | + 16’00 “ |
70 | Leonardo Tonelli | Husqvarna | + 22’10 “ |
89 | Cesare Zacchetti | KTM | + 26’10 “ |
ninety two | Franco Picco | Fantic | + 26’55 “ |
94 | Domenico Cipollone | KTM | + 27’20 “ |
101 | Lorenzo Piolini | KTM | + 28’45 “ |
117 | Andrea Winkler | KTM | + 32’10 “ |
118 | Elio Aglioni | KTM | + 32’20 “ |
122 | Aldo Winkler | KTM | + 34’45 “ |
124 | Giovanni Stigliano | KTM | + 35’00 “ |
125 | Tiziano Internò | Husqvarna | + 35’05 “ |
126 | Francesco Catanese | Honda | + 36’00 “ |
Dakar 2022 – Quad general classification after the Prologue
Pos | Pilot | Quad | Time / Gap |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Manuel Andujar | Yamaha | 1.10’10 “ |
2 | Alexandre Giroud | Yamaha | + 1’35 “ |
3 | Giovanni Enrico | Yamaha | + 2’35 “ |
4 | Italo Pedemonte | Yamaha | + 6’45 “ |
5 | Tomas Kubiena | Yamaha | + 6’45 “ |
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