De Villiers tops Dakar podium
STAGE TWO: BIG DAY FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN TRIO
In a sensational second day of the Dakar yesterday, Southern African competitors Ross Branch, Giniel de Villiers and Conrad Rautenbach took a historic hattrick of podiums in the motorcycle, car and side-by-side classes.
Botswana motorcycle hero and multiple South African Cross Country Champion Branch (KTM) stormed home to a sensational and historic maiden Dakar stage win, while South Africa’s 2009 Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers had a far better second day to win the car race in his SA-built Toyota Hilux.
It was also a strong outing for Zimbabwean ex-SA rally champion Conrad Rautenbach, who led the way as he fought to third in the side-by-side class behind winner Lopes Contardo of Chile and two seconds adrift of Spain’s second-placed Hinojo Lopes in another day of surprises as the race sped to Neom in Saudi Arabia.
The 2018 Dakar Rookie-of-theYear Branch put in a mesmerising performance to run second behind Honda rider Joan Barreda, before moving his KTM into the lead of the motorcycle race at the day’s third waypoint.
Quite astoundingly, winner Branch was the only privateer among a factory rider-dominated top 15 motorcycles as KTM’s Sam Sunderland disposed of Husqvarna rider Pablo Quintanilla for third ahead of Argentine brothers Kevin (Honda) and Luciano
Benavides (KTM) and Joan Barreda (Honda). Sunderland now leads the bike section from Quintanilla and Kevin Benavides with Branch sixth.
De Villiers enjoyed a steady day after his tough four-puncture first stage to move up from his 14th starting spot to fifth by the first waypoint, and then second behind Saudi home hero Yazeed al Rajhi’s similar SA-built Toyota by the end of the fourth sector.
De Villiers then took advantage of Al Rajhi’s last sector woes to move into the lead and take the day from Mini driver Orlando Terranova, Sheik Al Qassimi’s Peugeot and Frenchman Mattieu Serradori, who delivered a sensational fourth in his South African-built Corvette-powered Century buggy.
It was another dramatic day as the rest of the car top ten ebbed and flowed behind the consistent De Villiers and flying Al Rajhi, who had taken complete advantage of his home knowledge to lead the way and open up a significant stage lead through day two, while his rivals preserved their tyres as they learned the way.
Al Qassimi led the early chase before he hit trouble to allow reigning champion Nasser Al Attiyah to take up the chase, but he too ran into problems to see De Villiers into second ahead of Russian Vladimir Vassiliev’s Mini, which also later suffered problems.
Behind them were Mini men, overnight leader Vaidotas Zala, “Mr Dakar” Stephane Peterhansel and double winner Carlos Sainz.