As generally occurs, Stage Six of the 2023 Dakar Rally underwent a slight revision from the unique plan. Weather. in any case, is not within the organizers’ management—so, on this case, the variety of kilometers to finish the stage dropped right down to 357 for the day. Bikes and different rivals had loads of sand and dunes to deal with, so it might be a mistake to suppose it was in any approach straightforward. (How you dune?)
Nacho Cornejo took an early lead on Stage Six, with Skyler Howes, Toby Price, and Stage Five winner Adrien Van Beveren additionally proper there within the pack. Not lengthy into the day, although, brothers Kevin and Luciano Benavides made up some critical floor. Provisional instances for each brothers noticed them forward of Toby Price on the 31-kilometer mark, however a whole bunch of kilometers nonetheless remained to get to the top of the stage.
After 84 kilometers, nonetheless, it was Skyler Howes who was out in entrance, main Nacho Cornejo by 29 seconds. By the 121-kilometer mark, he’d managed to open up that result in over a minute—nonetheless, that doesn’t take time bonuses under consideration. That’s why the official report contains entries like “Adrien Van Beveren trails Skyler Howes by 2’51’’ but the Frenchman, yesterday’s winner, is playing the stage like Pacman, gobbling up the bonuses. He has already accumulated 2’56’’ bonuses and is virtually 5’’ ahead of Howes!”
Time bonuses had been now not obtainable to riders after the 207-kilometer mark, and a by-now acquainted set of faces made up the entrance of the pack within the GP bike class. These embody Nacho Cornejo, Adrien Van Beveren, Skyler Howes, Toby Price, and Luciano Benavides. Previous 2023 stage winner Joan Barreda, Kevin Benavides, and Matthias Walkner had been additionally not far behind the primary group, and Mason Klein was nonetheless within the combine, too.
By the top of the stage, Luciano Benavides took the win—that means that to date in 2023, there have been zero repeat stage winners. Seven levels nonetheless stay within the 2023 Dakar Rally, although, so that would change. Here’s the complete itemizing of the highest 10 riders on the stage:
| Rider | Team | Time |
| Luciano Benavides (ARG) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | 3 hours, 14 minutes, 19 seconds |
| Skyler Howes (USA) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | 3 hours, quarter-hour, 15 seconds |
| Toby Price (AUS) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 3 hours, 16 minutes, 39 seconds |
| Joan Barreda Bort (ESP) | Monster Energy JB Team | 3 hours, 16 minutes, 48 seconds |
| Kevin Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 3 hours, 17 minutes, 0 seconds |
| Pablo Quintanilla (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | 3 hours, 17 minutes, 11 seconds |
| Daniel Sanders (AUS) | Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing | 3 hours, 17 minutes, 19 seconds |
| Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | 3 hours, 17 minutes, 34 seconds |
| Štefan Svitko (SVK) | Slovnaft Rally Team | 3 hours, 17 minutes, 46 seconds |
| Matthias Walkner (AUT) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 3 hours, 18 minutes, 27 seconds |
Thanks to weather-related challenges, Dakar organizers introduced that levels seven and eight might be run in marathon mode for all 2023 Dakar Rally rivals. Also, they’ve been exchanged with each other, so what was to have been the route for stage eight is now the route for stage seven, and vice versa. Some slight rejiggering and shortening of distances make it potential to do that in a manageable approach, or so organizers say.
Because the ‘marathon’ portion of those two levels being run collectively was not within the unique plan, there might be an help zone obtainable after the end line of stage seven. Stage Seven will run for 333 kilometers, and stage eight might be 345 kilometers. After rivals attain the bivouac in Riyadh after finishing stage eight, they’ll have a scheduled relaxation day on Monday, January 9.
Source: www.rideapart.com
