– Roma second, Przygonski fourth
– Final leg tomorrow
The Dakar is on the finishing straight and today’s ninth leg around Pisco really shook up the overall standings again. Joan Nani Roma and Alex Haro (both ESP) finished as runners-up on the penultimate stage and are now back in second place overall. Jakub Kuba Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) were fourth fastest today.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA) and Timo Gottschalk (GER) came home seventh, while Boris Garafulic (CHI) and Filipe Palmeiro (POR) were 14th on stage nine. Orlando Terranova and Bernardo Ronnie Graue (both ARG) claimed their third stage win in the half-marathon category.
After his early retirement from last year’s rally, Roma now has one hand on a podium finish in this year’s event. « This Dakar is one of the toughest I have ever experienced. Every kilometre is a challenge, » said the Catalan. « We had a puncture in the sand at around the 38-kilometre mark. Otherwise, we just tried to remain focussed and get through the stage calmly. The team is doing a great job and the MINI is superb to drive. It is now up to us to get through tomorrow in one piece. »
Przygonski was focussing on what lay ahead of him today, not only in the car, but also in the overall standings. With one day of the rally remaining, he now finds himself in fourth place. « In my opinion, that was the toughest stage so far, with roughly 70 percent in the dunes, » said the Pole. « The soft sand made them very difficult to get over. At times it took us several attempts. We were in attack mode today, looking to climb up the overall standings. Unfortunately, we got stuck ten kilometres from the finish and lost about twelve minutes as a result. But we made it, and that was by no means a given today. Tomorrow is the final leg and we want to push hard again. »
Al-Rajhi and Gottschalk are a ‘safe’ seventh overall and took it easy today – with the exception of one brief moment. « We got stuck right at the start and first had to free ourselves. After that, we took it a bit easier. The stage was very difficult for the drivers and navigation was not easy at one point. However, we did not lose too much time. »
The 2019 Dakar bows out tomorrow with the final stage from Pisco back to the start city of Lima. The competitors must first complete a 112-kilometre loop around the bivouac in Pisco. They then head into the Peruvian capital, where the podium ceremony will also take place.
Rally Dakar – Result SS9
1. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota – 3h 53m 22s
2. Nani Roma (ESP) / Alex Haro (ESP) MINI JCW Rally – 3h 58m 20s
3. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (GER) Toyota – 4h 00m 37s
4. Kuba Przygonski (POL) / Tom Colsoul (BEL) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 07m 23s
5. Benediktas Vanagas (LTU) / Sebastian Rozwadowski (POL) Toyota – 4h 09m 07s
6. Martin Prokop (CZE) / Jan Tomanek (CZE) Ford – 4h 26m 21s
7. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU) / Timo Gottschalk (GER) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 26m 47s
8. Cyril Despres (FRA) / Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA) MINI JCW Buggy – 4h 33m 08s
9. Erik Van Loon (NDL) / Harmen Scholtalbers (NDL) Toyota – 4h 39m 18s
10. Dennis Krotov (RUS) / Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) MINI JCW Rally – 4h 40m 04s…
14. Boris Garafulic (CHL) / Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) MINI JCW Rally – 5h 01m 42s…
Rally Dakar – Overall result after SS9
1. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota – 33h 09m 12s
2. Nani Roma (ESP) / Alex Haro (ESP) MINI JCW Rally – 34h 00m 39s
3. Sebastian Loeb (FRA) / Daniel Elena (FRA) Peugeot – 35h 11m 49s
4. Kuba Przygonski (POL) / Tom Colsoul (BEL) MINI JCW Rally – 35h 43m 03s
5. Cyril Despres (FRA) / Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA) MINI JCW Buggy – 36h 04m 25s
6. Martin Prokop (CZE) / Jan Tomanek (CZE) Ford – 36h 38m 18s
7. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU) / Timo Gottschalk (GER) MINI JCW Rally – 37h 37m 34s
8. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (GER) Toyota – 40h 17m 28s
9. Ronan Chabot (FRA) / Gilles Pillot (FRA) Toyota – 41h 20m 58s
10. Benediktas Vanagas (LTU) / Sebastian Rozwadowski (POL) Toyota – 41h 24m 38s…
11. Boris Garafulic (CHL) / Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) MINI JCW Rally – 41h 38m 18s…
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