The 168-kilometre opening stage of the Rally Andalucía was a spectacular return to racing as the best off-roaders on the planet were given the full Dakar treatment. Day one in Spain combined rough terrain and navigational challenges, leading to a number of surprises appearing on the leaderboard.
Coming quickest out of the gate in the car contest was Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA) who took the first stage win on offer in Andalucía. Al-Rajhi was soon followed home by reigning Dakar champion Carlos Sainz (ESP). Spanish native Sainz sits less than two minutes behind Al-Rajhi with three days of racing still to come.
« We are happy to finish the stage in second place. For stage two I want to make some changes to the setup of the car. » – Carlos Sainz
The third fastest car on day one belonged to three-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) who finished 10 minutes quicker than Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA). Al-Attiyah was forced to race over 100 kilometres in rear-wheel drive due to a drive shaft problem, while Peterhansel’s speed dropped to 20kph near the end of the stage on account of a broken wishbone.
« It was not easy but I am quite happy to finish the stage without losing too much time. » – Nasser Al-Attiyah
Also on four wheels, over in the side-by-side (SxS) race, the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team were back in action. Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA) steered his OT3 to a 4th place finish on the SxS stage while rally-raid rookie Kevin Hansen (SWE) came home in 8th place.
« I kept it clean which I was really happy about. » – Mitch Guthrie Jr.
Gearbox trouble for 18-year-old Seth Quintero (USA) saw him unable to complete the stage as race organisers directed his OT3 back to the bivouac. Quintero will re-enter the rally today with the aim of collecting a stage win before the end of the week.
« We’ll see if we can pick up a stage win. » – Seth Quintero
In the bike race the opening stage was won by Kevin Benavides (ARG) on a Honda. 2017 Dakar winner Sam Sunderland (GBR) was the best placed of the Red Bull KTM Factory Team riders on stage one. Sunderland took 7th place in the bike race, less than seven minutes back from Benavides.
« I’m happy with how I rode, didn’t have any dramas. » – Sam Sunderland
Sunderland’s KTM team-mate Matthias Walkner (AUT) is a further five minutes off the lead while Toby Price (AUS) and Daniel Sanders (AUS) both did well to recover from tough days to finish inside the Top 20.
« I made a couple of little mistakes along the way but all-in-all it was good and a useful learning experience. » – Daniel Sanders
Laia Sanz (ESP) has withdrawn from the Rally Andalucía following a crash on the prologue stage. The Spanish rider injured her arm but is confident she will be fully recovered by the time the next Dakar rolls around.
« After a bad night, the team and I have decided that it was not worth risking make the injury worse. » – Laia Sanz
The Andalucía Rally continues today with a monstrous 270-kilometre special stage taking the convoy over tricky terrain and promising them further navigational headaches.
Select Quotes
Carlos Sainz: « As we already imagined, we encountered a lot of difficulty with our car due to the characteristics of the route. Despite this, we are happy to finish the stage in second place. For stage two I want to make some changes to the setup of the car. »
Nasser Al Attiyah: « At the beginning everything was good, then after 45 kilometres we had a problem with the front left drive shaft, so we did 120 kilometres with just rear wheel drive. It was not easy but I am quite happy to finish the stage without losing too much time. »
Stéphane Peterhansel: « We had a puncture but I didn’t see it straight away and we went off the track on the next corner and hit the wheel pretty hard. After that the car was a little strange to drive. Then the wishbone, that must have had a big impact, broke completely and we did the rest of the special at 20kph. If the special hadn’t been cut short I think we would have struggled to finish it. »
Mitch Guthrie Jr.: « It was an awesome day and it’s great to be back at it. I kept it clean which I was really happy about. The OT3 was on point, it was a great day. We ran a fast pace throughout but didn’t get any flats. »
Kevin Hansen: « This was a great stage, really great. At the beginning we were overtaking a few T2s. Our speed was good and Francois did a great job with the navigation. »
Seth Quintero: « We’re back in the bivouac getting the car prepped for tomorrow. We’ll see if we can pick up a stage win. »
Sam Sunderland: « After falling in the prologue I started today in 20th, so ended up spending a lot of time in the dust from the guys in front. Despite that I’m happy with how I rode, didn’t have any dramas and will hopefully have a better day tomorrow in cleaner air. »
Matthias Walkner: « On the whole, it feels great to be back racing. The bike is working really well and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. »
Toby Price: « I opened the special for probably 80 or 90 percent and stayed on two wheels, so I’m happy about my navigation and riding. The body feels good and the bike is performing well and as always, the team are doing a great job. »
Daniel Sanders: « By the halfway mark I was able to find my rhythm, keep a good pace and concentrate on the road book. I made a couple of little mistakes along the way but all-in-all it was good and a useful learning experience. »
Laia Sanz: « After a bad night, the team and I have decided that it was not worth risking make the injury worse. Although it hurts to do so, we have decided not to continue the Rally Andalucía. I’m sorry for the team, for the great work they have done getting the bike ready, but the priority is to be good in a few days to keep preparing the Dakar. Thank you all for your messages of support! »