Dakar: Today’s stage cancelled after avalanche

Today’s stage nine of the Dakar Rally has been cancelled, after an avalanche during last night’s final liaison stage back to the bivouac closed roads and left competitors stranded across the region, with some eventually having to add an additional 200km of riding to a day that already saw 1000km completed.

Thanks to that – and to local emergency services being diverted away from race duties to help out locals in the area affected – organisers took the decision to cancel today’s stage in order to allow the bivouac a chance to properly regroup before carrying on.

TOP STORIES

• Victory Motorcycles cease production
• Top 5 of the most practical & stylish beanies
• MotoGP: Viñales makes first appearance in Yamaha colours
• TCX discount gives dirt racers a chance to fill their boots
• Top 5 best-selling motorbike t-shirts

Today was to be the ‘queen stage’ of the 2017 race, one of the hardest stages of recent years, with over 400km of almost entirely off-road timed riding presenting a real navigational challenge to the racers.

The news will be bittersweet to race leader Sam Sunderland, though, with it both bringing less chance to race but also securing another day of rest for him – and securing his lead another day.

The Brit now needs only to defend his twenty-minute lead across Thursday and Friday’s two stages before a short 64km section leading to Saturday’s finish line in Buenos Aires.

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’sBikes For Sale App.