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The Inbank Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics crew started from 15th place, registering 17th in the first half of the speed section. B. Vanagas, who was flying steadily in the second half of the distance, approached the TOP-10 and was ranked 14th about 100 km away.
At the last point of the way, the Lithuanian team settled on 16th position and reached the finish line repeating Monday’s result: 15th position. Our 403 km were covered in 3.44:01.
With a spare tire, the buttocks had to pass over all the stones with great compression.
Benedict Vanagas
By the way, our crew for 9 seconds. he twice surpassed the Dakar champion, the legendary Nani Roma, who lost 15th place to the Lithuanian crew in the final kilometers.
Upon arrival, B. Vanagas said that the entire route, which is more than 400 kilometers long, was extremely technical. And the great dunes were not lacking, although, as the runner joked, the organizers hid them from the marathon participants of the rally last year. This time there was no danger in the sand dunes.
“We entered the dune massif when the sun was shining perpendicularly at noon. It was very difficult to ride because there are no shadows so you may not see the sand wall in front or fall off any cliffs. Everything around him is the same yellowish-brown color ”, commented the athlete.
According to B. Vanago, although there was a lot of sand and stones, a good and interesting balance was chosen. There were even real off-road racing elements with huge rocks that had to be overcome somehow. “Having a sober mind, even with a good SUV, I wouldn’t think of driving there, but it happens in Dakar,” he said.
To the good work done on this Dakar, the crew added a circle to borrow from Yazeed Al Rajhi, another to cut themselves, and it all happened within the first 100 kilometers.
“It was necessary to go through all the stones with a spare wheel, the compression of the glutes was very high. Anyway, everything is fine, just the two flies that got into the cockpit in some way during the start were very annoying, “said B. Vanagas, who does not lose his sense of humor.
Leaders roamed the track
Toyota Gazoo Racing earned a double win on Tuesday. Among the car crews, Nasser Al-Attiyah was again the fastest and his teammate, Dakar rookie Hank Lategan, came in second. Stephane Peterhansel finished third with the Mini bag, but the Frenchman still has a 5 minute lead in the overall standings.
Sailing was again a serious challenge that not even Sainz’s co-driver Lucas Cruz faced this time. The lost Spanish crew left the track at the start of the race, and lost time wiped out opportunities to fight for victory. Y. Al Rajhi even had to stop for a few minutes near the track until he finally managed to orient himself and continue the race.
Such confusion provided an additional opportunity for classic rally legend Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman, at the wheel of the exotic Prodrive Hunter, seriously threatened the leaders in the second stage and finished in sixth position.
About 40 kilometers before the finish, Bernard Ten Brinke appeared, who had been in the top five. The rider and his co-driver Tom Colsoul were not injured, but the stage was over for the crew, it only remained to seek the help of the team. B. Vanagas said that the dangerous place was not marked in the road book, and after a big jump, the Dutch car hit the ground hard ahead.
“It seems like the Dakar is over for him. It’s very frustrating about that, but it’s already happening in this sport,” he said.
Untouched wilderness
For two days, the bivouac founded by Vadi Ad Davasire provided team technicians and service personnel with much-needed rest hours. At that time, the race participants passed the first circuit of the 2021 rally marathon on the edge of one of the largest deserts in the world, Rub al Khaly.
There was no shortage of sand and dunes while driving in the untouched wild desert, but the latter were located on shorter stretches. On uneven pavement, the slower technical sections were again replaced by very fast ones.
In the section of 403 kilometers of speed, according to the organizers, 78 percent. the surface was made up of sand, 12 percent. the desert was covered with dirt and the remaining 10 percent. there were dunes. For those who were able to dodge the stones and quickly find their way, this stage provided an opportunity to improve their time.
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