Daniel Sanders qualifies third for Dakar Rally debut
Australian riders Daniel Sanders and Toby Price will both start the 2021 Dakar Rally inside the top tenThe 2021 Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia, with riders and drivers taking part in a prologue overnight. The qualifying stage results will determine the starting positions for tonight’s opening stage.
Australian debutant Daniel Sanders (KTM) finished 3rd in the short timed section, just behind reigning champ Ricky Brabec (Honda) and veteran Joan Barreda Bort (Honda).
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Sanders’ countryman Toby Price (KTM) finished 9th as he looks for his third Dakar title. His KTM teammates, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland, finished 18th and 26th respectively, while regular frontrunner, Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) finished 8th.
Australia’s other competitors, Michael Burgess and Andrew Houlihan, finished 39th and 72nd respectively.
The prologue stage was only 11km long, with Brabec finishing in just over six minutes. The short and fast route meant many riders opted to ride conservatively in preparation for the first official stage.
Tonight’s first stage will see riders depart from Jeddah towards Bisha. The route will include 345km of transport, with a 277km special stage.
The stage will not feature any off-piste riding, but navigation will be crucial as riders make their way through a maze of tracks.
The Dakar Rally will continue until January 15, when competitors return to Jeddah.
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