Women faced Dakar Rally Stage 9 Special with resilience and focus on Bike, Car, Challenger, SSV and Truck categories. Even if the final Stages are in sight, and the backbone of the Dakar behind, all women remaining are reminded to keep the poker face glowing amid pressure to ramp up performance amidst tight competition.
And Special Stage times are #1 for all with Stages 10 – 12 left to race. Having covered total of 6,310kms with 3,666kms timed, these brave women have kept the growing awareness that more sleep, more energy, and more rest will have to wait until the ultimate goals of finishing Dakar Rally 2024 are done, albeit in whichever position.
If any alleviation of physical exhaustion is needed, results of women who have outright nailed their skills and navigation prowess on a bike and behind a wheel have etched their names in the 46th edition of Dakar, and Motorsport history in general.
Starting with British rider, and sole remaining female in Bike category Jane Daniels. Completing SS9 in 55th position in General classification, and standing 39th in Rally 2, Jane exhumes such humble persona, so was totally surprised at receiving Dakar’s DARE Best Dakar Spirit medal at the end of the Stage.
Jane: ‘My wrists and hands are starting to ache with the amount of hours and kms we’ve covered over the last 11 days. And who’d of thought towing my team mate, Jeremy, to the end of yesterday’s stage was worthy of a medal?! Very grateful to have been chosen for this’.
Equal in gratitude for racing Dakar, a total of 14 consecutive times no less, is Spanish driver, Laia Sanz. The Dakar Legend really has accumulated an extra-ordinary portfolio in Dakar Rally, making her debut entry in Moto in 2011, proceeding to race the next 10 Dakar’s in the same category before switching to 4 wheels in 2022, competing in Car.
Currently standing in 3rd, in T1.2 category, Laia recounts that such results are really worth savoring, given if you had asked would she be racing in Car category in Dakar’s Saudi Arabia 5th edition, the answer would have been a firm no way.
Laia: ‘The Dakar is the hardest thing I have ever done, but at the same time brings me the most satisfaction. I would never have imagined racing Dakar – if I think about my first Dakar the only illusion was if I would finish it on a motorcycle. Now, starting this Stage in Car, I would of told you, I don’t believe it’.
For 19 year old Aliyyah Koloc, turning fiction into reality has taken alot – a massive amount of physical, mental, and strategic planning to be at the ready, producing better, and better results as the Dakar Rally 2024 proceeds. Currently standing 18th in T1+ General classification, let’s see if the Buggyra ZM Racing driver continues to hold her own against the best Rally-Raid driver’s in the world.
To say the Challenger category has been tightly fought battle from opening Stage 1 to 9, would be an understatement with SS9 returning times of: 4H 55′ 38” for Cristina Gutierrez and co-driver Pablo Moreno Huete in 4th, behind P3 of 4H 55′ 23”, P2 of 4H 55′ 03, and P1 4H 47′ 58”. The Spanish driver commands 2nd in General classification, so hold on tight for dead-line Dakar Stage 10 – 12 finishes.
Without rocking too many scenarios for punctures or mechanical issues in SS9, Dakar Legend Camelia Liporati clocked 17th place, with X-Raid Yamaha Supported Team female duo of Annett Quandt and Annie Seel in 20th. Dania Akeel experienced a bit more drama in SS9 than the Saudi driver would have liked, romping back to AlUla bivouac in 27th position.
Topping the SSV General category for women, on debut, Sara Price has remained firm and resolute, that her best strategy of remaining patient, consistent, and focused wins over keen-jerk change of plans to gain potential time leverage over competition.
Sara: ‘We moved into 2nd in the overall and the strategy is really taking place this second week, going into the last 3 stages. Today was a tough one we got lost for a good 15 minutes or more as the navigation is super tricky, it wasn’t what we wanted but all in all we are still in a good position and tomorrow is a new day and a new stage!
From the American driver of Price, to Lithuanian debut entry of Emilijia Gelazninkiene and Italian driver Christine GZ – Nationalities cross divides when racing Dakar. Both rookies are feeling the heat of completing the last Stages of the race, with Emilijia standing 9th and Christine in 12th in SSV General classification. Rebecca Busi made up for lost time in Stage 6, posting 13th in SS9, ranking 24th overall.
Dutch trio of Anja van Loon, Floor Maten, and Marije Ettekoven – all declared the toughness of Dakar was starting to take it’s toll, with Anja stating: ‘Stage 9 was physically the toughest stage so far. It was long and annoying with all kinds of loops over rocks and lava. We’ve been shaken up again and it just hurts. But, we are back. One day closer to the finish’.
All those watching are sending best wishes to all competitors heading into Finals Stages 10 – 12.
Dakar Rally Stage 10 AlUla to AlUla total distance 612kms with 371kms timed.
Header photo: background Cristina Gutierrez Graphics: MXLink.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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