Dakar: Barreda victorious again as navigation key on stage ten

Monster Energy Honda rider Joan Barreda has once again been victorious on today’s tenth stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally, on a day of high drama that saw many of those in overall contention struggle with navigation on the 400kms of timed racing.

British race leader Sam Sunderland was among the first to get long, alongside a number of other including Red Bull KTM teammate Matthias Walkner and main opponents Paulo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren – but the Brit managed to correct his day earlier than them to maintain a healthy overall lead.

He finished the day outside the top ten overall, but a mechanical on top of the navigation error cost Quintanilla heavily, losing an hour to Sunderland, before a reported dizzy spell later in the day saw medics bring a premature end to the Spaniard’s race.

Van Beveren, running third at the start of the day, also suffered, to drop one place to fourth in the overall, with Walkner taking over second, with Gerard Farres third.

At the front, Barreda’s impressive stage win means he’s back to fifth overall despite his hour-long penalty for illegal refuelling last week, while his helper-rider Michael Metge took an impressive second. However, American Ricky Brabac was denied the chance to round out an all-Honda podium with a mechanical only 13km from home.

Lyndon Poskitt was 44^th man home on a good day for the Brits, with all five in the top one hundred, with of Max Hunt in 62^nd, David Watson in 92^nd and Kurt Burroughs 98^th.

Standings after stage ten:

1. Sam Sunderland                 
2. Matthias Walkner               +00:30:01
3. Gerard Farres                        +00:38:43
4. Adrien Van Beveren           +00:41:57
5. Joan Barreda                          +00:53:47
6. Pierre Renet                           +00:55:24
7. Paulo Goncalves                  +01:00:11
8. Xavier de Soultrait              +01:32:55
9. Michael Metge   +01:35:33
10. Franco Cami                           +01:37:57