What will remain above all of this ninth stage of the Dakar 2021 is the heavy fall of Toby Price around the 155th kilometer. In contention for the final victory, the double winner of the event saw all his hopes dashed on Tuesday, the day after a great feat on the marathon stage. Hit in the left shoulder, right wrist and head, the Australian left the rally, transported to Tabouk hospital for a complete medical check-up. Ricky Brabec and Sam Sunderland stopped for a long time to assist him.
The other blow of the day is for the Yamaha clan, who lost Ross Branch on an engine failure. After a fall on Sunday and lost time as a result, the Batswana suffers the same fate as his teammate Franco Caimi the day before, unable to repair.
Unfortunate people, this ninth act has done a lot. At the 239th kilometer, Luciano Benavídes (Husqvarna) fell and was hit in the right shoulder area, which also forced him to retire. The tenth in the general classification was also evacuated by helicopter to the hospital in Tabouk.
While some are in pain, there is one that continues to assert itself. On the handlebars of his Honda, Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo did not falter on a ninth stage which was expected as the big test of the second week, with no less than 465 kilometers of a very varied and demanding special around Neom. The Chilean certainly did not win, but he was among the fastest and again had a good operation at the top of the general classification.
The offensive was led by Kevin Benavídes who, with his Honda, was the strongest on this long special. The Argentinian ended the day’s stage with a 1’34 lead over Cornejo, placing himself in the general classification at the same time. The two men were the only ones in contention for the scratch victory, the gap with the pursuers quickly amounting to minutes. Adrien van Beveren ends at 13’52, Matthias Walkner at 14’19 and Joan Barreda at 14’29.
Ricky Brabec and Sam Sunderland dropped 23’18 and 26’11 respectively. The two later recovered the time they wasted when rescuing Toby Price. This credit is 22 minutes for Brabec and 16 minutes for Sunderland.
Provisional general classification after Stage 9
* A time credit could be granted by the commissioners.
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