Dakar Rally – Stage 2: Wrong Turn Costs Despres 8 Minutes

Sunday marks the second day of the Dakar Rally, and the first real day of racing. Despite completing only two stages thus far of the 2013 Dakar Rally, the racing has gotten interesting, as race-win favorite Cyril Despres has lost eight minutes to the overall leader, Husqvarna’s Joan Barreda.

Fifth fastest overall thus far, Despres’s lost time was due to navigating around a massive dune, a move that caught several other riders out as well. With Monday’s Stage Three expected to be an even more difficult day, Despres said he was happy to start from behind, and let the other riders tackle the course ahead of him, where he could learn from their mistakes.

The Dakar Rally has been settled by less than the eight minute gap that Despres currently faces, though the Frenchman’s navigational error would have been more critical if rival and teammate Marc Coma was entered in the race this year, instead of sidelined with injury.

Dakar Rally Stage Two Results – Pisco to Pisco (Total distance 327 km: 85 km liaison and 242 km special)

1. Joan Barreda – Spain – Husqvarna – 2:42.31
2. Joan Pedrero – Spain – KTM – – 2:45.47
3. Mathew Fish – Australia Husqvarna – 2:48.24
4. Ruben Faria – Portugal – KTM – 2:48.57
5. Kurt Caselli – USA – KTM – 2:49.41
6. Darryl Curtis – South Africa – KTM – 2:50.20
7. David Casteu – France – Yamaha – 2:50.39
8. Jordi Villadoms – Spain – Husqvarna – 2:50.46
9. Israel Esquerre – Chile – Honda – – 2:50.50
10. Pal-Anders Ullevalseter – Norway – KTM – 2:52.13
11. Olivier Pain – France – Yamaha – 2:52.41
12. Cyril Despres – France – KTM – 2:52.41