Sanders remains in total lead despite tough Phase 4

Dakar Race 2023 – Stage 4
Ha’Il – Ha’Il

The riders left Ha’il for the 574km Dakar Stage 4 with Daniel Sanders in the lead. Wednesdays include a special 425km ride that starts with 100km of sand dunes, before evolving into a sand road labyrinth back to bivouac, with navigation key remaining.

Toby Price has made another consistent attempt to take fourth place on the day, ensuring the Australian will have a solid starting position for stage 5 on Thursday, where he will aim to win. Push the soft sand dunes to make up for your opponents.

Price Toby – P4

“Overall, I had a good day, just drove it on two wheels and finished every day. The stretch of sand dunes at the beginning of today’s leg is quite difficult to pass, anyway, the more sand and rain you get in, making everything more difficult and causing fuel consumption to increase a bit. At this point in the race, my body is feeling good, the bike is good too, so I’m happy. I’m as happy as Larry!”

It was a challenging but auspicious day for Daniel Sanders, although a bit of a detour saw him end the day in eighth place, six minutes from the stage leader, however it wasn’t enough to oust ‘Chucky’ from the overall lead.

Daniel Sanders – P8 (Overall Lead)

“Yes, today was quite difficult but I enjoyed it very much. It’s been quite a while since I’ve taken the lead on a stage, and navigating through a first stage is pretty tough for anyone. I got lost at one point but stayed calm, figured everything out and got back on track pretty quickly. Overall, I’m satisfied with today. It didn’t take me too long and I’m still leading, so I’m excited with how the rally is shaping up for me. Now is tomorrow and a full day in the dunes. I can’t wait!

Joan Barreda of the Honda-mounted Monster Energy Team Joan Barreda won Stage 4 in the interim results, trailing Monster Energy Honda driver Pablo Quintanilla by 16 seconds, with Skyler Howes in third, just as fast. more than a minute ahead of Toby Price in fourth place.

Pablo Quintanilla – P2

“It’s been a good day for me, another super tough period but I’ve finally found my rhythm and I’m happy about it. It’s great to finally be able to race in the open desert, the kind of terrain that I like best. There’s still a long way to go but I feel strong and motivated to keep going and fight for the top.”

Skyler Howes – P3

“That was difficult. I caught up with Sanders at about 100km, and Mason (Klein) caught up too, so the three of us fought at the front for the opening. It was a super fun day in the morning – the dunes were really wet, but then softer at the top, and I actually went through the bars a few times, which wasn’t great. I led into the refueling area and then I got a really big bump in a rocky area. We were looking to find the correct path and I must have just cut one and it pushed me aside. Thankfully Sanders was nearby and helped me up. After that, I found it difficult to find my rhythm again for a long time, I rode like a zombie. But then towards the end, I found my focus and was able to navigate well to the finish line. Now I need to rest a bit, but I’m happy with how things are going.”

Adrien Van Beveren is fifth, ahead of Luciano Benavides and Kevin Benavides, Sanders is eighth, followed by Jose Cornejo and Lorenzo Santolino. Outside the top 10 are Mason Klein and Matthias Walkner.

Adrien Van Beveren – P5

“This is a beautiful stage, with great terrain. Everyone knows I love sand races so I was happy to ride today. Navigation is everywhere, and I almost always make my own way. I am also very pleased with the performance of my Honda CRF 450 Rally and all the technical support we have to make it even better.”

Luciano Benavides – P6

“The fourth day in the book, but it feels more like day 10! No, I’m extremely happy to have finished another stage in a work without incident and without making any major mistakes. It was again a crazy stage with many fast-paced slides. The top 10 are pushing like hell every day, so you need to do the same if you want to stay in the race. I think I did very well, my speed is good, my results are improving day by day and I feel healthy. I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

Kevin Benavides – P7

“Today is another long period. I feel really good being out there and my feeling with the bike right now is great, it seems to work well in all conditions. It was materialistic today even though there was a lot of camel grass and sand dunes. I tried to do my best and didn’t make any big mistakes. Towards the end, I rode with Joan Barreda, and we made up for time by pushing each other through the final part of the leg. I’m really happy with my riding, happy with my position on the leaderboard, I just need to focus and keep up the pace.”

José Ignacio Cornejo – P9

“This is another difficult day. I was going well but then at about 90 km I had to stop and help the Portuguese driver Joaquim Rodrigues. He had a serious accident and I had to call for medical help. After that, it took me a while to get back on track and get my rhythm back, but I’m glad I did anyway – it’s part of the Dakar spirit of unity.”

Matthias Walkner – P12

“Today was a really difficult period again. I have a lot of pain in my wrist and I am at my absolute limit right now. As soon as I set off this morning, I knew it was going to be a tough day, but I fought to get through it. I will continue to try to do my best and see how I feel every day.”

Rally GP standings after Stage 4 Dakar

Daniel Sanders continues to lead the Dakar Rally 2023 after Stage 4, 3m33 seconds from Skyler Howes, with Kevin Benavides finishing third. Barreda is fourth, Toby Price is fifth, 7m17s ahead of Sanders, while Mason Klein, Pablo Quintanilla, Adrien Van Beveren, Luciano Benavides and Matthias Walker make the top 10.

Video highlights of Phase 4

Stage 5 Roadmap

Stage Five of this year’s Dakar Rally will once again begin and end at the Ha’il barracks. This special leg will be 374 km long and the coalition 275 km long. In the second lap around Saudi Arabia’s off-road capital, a field of small sand dunes with camel grass will give way to sprawling sand dunes.

So dune jumping will be key and will mark the difference between minutes won and lost in this slalom style zone. In this terrain, mastering soft sand in no time is certainly a goal within reach of true professionals.

2023 Dakar Rally Stage 4 Provisional results

Overall Dakar 2023 race after stage 4 (temporary)

Dakar race schedule 2023