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STAGE 5 : CHILECITO – FIAMBALA
Road connection: 151 km – Special Stage: 189 km – Road connection : 79 km – Total : 416 km
The rain of the previous days vanished the difficulties of the Dakar´s famous stage. The bikes did not to take the same itinerary with cars. They took a late start, at 9 a.m. and the timed section was shortened of 79 km before getting to the bivouac of Fiambala. This decision must have been a delight for amateur riders that are already tired with the start of this unforgiving Dakar.
On top, Coma and Després took the wrong way after CP1 and had to make a U turn to take back the right track, just like Helder Rodrigues, who lost time on Chaleco López. After this, the Chilean is only one minute behind the Portuguese rider that occupies the third position on the standings. In spite of the fight lived in the tracks, it was nice to watch Rodrigues, Chaleco, Viladoms and Farres sitting in the bivouac telling each other their adventures of the day…
Frans Verhoeven was obligated to change the engine of his Sherco yesterday, but today, after a first stop, it seems the rider went back to his assistance to find a solution to a new mechanical problem. Alain Duclos, having Juan Pedrero on sight, had a fall that cost him a broken down GPS and the road-book roller. He got back on his feet and started over following the dust and traces, and turning his road-book manually. He got trapped in the sand twice!
In quads, Marcos Patronelli finally took his revenge and earns the victory of the last stage in Argentina, 2 seconds away from his brother Alejandro and Tomás Maffei.
The sky change its color far from Fiambala and it snowed over Paso San Francisco, the passage in altitude that competitors must go through tomorrow at dawn to start the race in Chile.
