Second-placed American Mason Klein lost the overall lead he had briefly regained after being handed a time penalty for exceeding the speed limit. His compatriot Skyler Howes stayed in front.
Walkner gained one place and almost six minutes to the top. Before the rest day, Kuchler, who is still handicapped by a sore wrist, is in tenth place. He is 23:35 minutes behind Howes. “Again and again it ripped the handlebars out of my hand. That was sometimes very borderline today. I didn’t really feel well and was often over my limit. It would certainly not end well over an entire Dakar,” said Walkner.
“I drive like raw eggs”
“I just notice that I can’t build up any pressure on the handlebars with my injured wrist, which means that the front wheel feels loose and constantly deflects. I ride like crazy and had a lot of tricky situations today. But I will also for the coming ones Stages can no longer change.” But when he looks around at his colleagues, he sees “that it’s not just me.” This year’s Dakar “is really brutal and a huge fight”.
Walkner is now looking forward to the rest day. “It’s about regenerating, taking care of my hand and recharging my batteries. Of course, I originally imagined my half-time position differently, but when you have a bad fall on the second day and it takes away your self-confidence so much, then it’s very hard for me to get on the podium.” He still tries his best every day – “we’ll see what comes out in the end”.
more from motorsport
Watch the January rally: four fan tips from state champion Simon Wagner
Dakar Rally Saturday stage cancelled
Vice state champion Neubauer leads after the first January rally test
Christian Birklbauer: Master’s examination for career changers
My themes
For your saved topics
found new items.
info By clicking on the icon you add the keyword to your topics.
info
Click on the icon to open your “My Topics” page. They have of 15 tags saved and would have to remove tags.
info By clicking on the icon you remove the keyword from your topics.
Add the theme to your themes.
Source: Nachrichten
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
