In this way, the illusions of the Argentine pilots of entering the podium area in their respective categories escaped in the first sections of Stage 10, which includes the itinerary between Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha.
The first misfortune corresponded to the Salta Benavides, when at kilometer 133, he suffered the explosion of the engine of his KTM machine.
“It is very sad. It was very good, today was a good day to defend the number 1, but the engine exploded. Thank you very much to all who have always been there and we will have to return”, he commented Benavides to the official TV, while he waited for the helicopter to take him to the bivouac.
Later, more relaxed, in an informal press conference with Argentine media, the winner of the 2021 edition lamented what happened.
“I came out focused as in the other stages, but the bike said enough. It did not alert me to anything and, suddenly, the engine stopped”revealed the 33-year-old pilot.
Benavides He compared what he experienced during the day to what happened two years ago, when a failure in his Honda engine deprived him of being on the podium.
“The exact same thing happened. The way the engine stopped was identical.”explained the Salta.
Benavides stated having “mourned by the impotence that leaving a test like this means, but in this type of competition, you win and lose. I had illusions of fighting to the end. At least making a podium for me was very important”, I consider.
The Salta motorcyclist analyzed that “Except for what happened to me today, the race had been very quiet, with nothing to regret. It was also very fast”, he pointed out.
A few kilometers after the accident involving Benavides, an identical situation suffered the Cordoba Copetti (US citizen), who was second in the general classification, behind Frenchman Alexandre Giroud.
Copetti, who had prevailed in the ninth stage and had cut five minutes the difference that the leader had to place himself at just over 24m., felt the cracking noise of the engine of the Yamaha unit.
At the time of abandonment, the 46-year-old nationalized American was running second on the stage, behind Giroud, 25 seconds, according to a report from the As site.
The tenth stage was won by the Brazilian Marcelo Medeiros, while Giroud retains the leadership, with an advantage of 2h. 36m. about polish Kamil Wisniewski, brand new escort.
Meanwhile, in cars, the Mendoza Orlando Terranova (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) finished third on stage 10 and continues to hold fourth place in the overall standings.
The Cuyo rider, whose best performances were in the 2013 and 2014 editions with fifth placements, finished the stage at 3m. 59s. of French Stephane Peterhansel (Audi Sport), who today achieved his 49th. triumph in sets and was only one behind the record still set by Finn Ari Vatanen.
In the general classification, Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo) continues to command with a cumulative time of 33h. 13m. 37s., With an advantage (32m. 40s.) On the French Sebastián Loeb (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) who is second.
The mendocino Terranova is fourth, at 1h. 29m. 18s., While his local Sebastian Halpern (XRaid Mini) is in eighth position, at 2h. 13m. 21s.
Source From: Ambito
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