Pisco to Pisco

-Watch this post for updates all day

6:30am – Today’ route is 337km with one 240km special that is all sand dunes. The first bikes are just getting started into the special.

The second stage of the 2013 Dakar is a loop around Pisco. After an opener which was more of a warm-up, the racers are about to get down to business with a 327 km trek on sand. An 85 km link section and a 242 km special entirely on the dunes await, but it’s not here that the race will be at its most difficult. We’ll have to wait until Monday for that Jaw-dropping landscapes are there for the crews to admire if they have a second to spare as they fight to avoid the traps of the sea of sand.

– Despres leads at 110km. All the leaders got bottled up at a large dune. Some decided to go around it while others tackled it head on. Kuba (Przygoński) and Gonclaves both lost time getting stuck on dune. As the leaders slowed, Despres caught up and is now out front.

-CP6 Barreda leads; Spaniard holds the best time 163 kilometres into the special, almost 8’30” ahead of Portugal’s Ruben Faria and a further 37″ ahead of Norway’s Ullevålseter. The latter is on the radar of South African Darryl Curtis, who has a meager 6″ margin over David Casteu. The rider from the French Riviera is a minute ahead of Cyril Despres, who set the provisional tenth best time behind Olivier Pain and Jeremías Israel Esquerres.

We are waiting for Caselli to reach CP6, his times have been right near the top 10 all day. Honda riders all seem a bit off the pace today.

2013 Dakar Rally Stage 2 Results