Dakar 2025: As at the front, Sainz lost half of his Ford Raptor

Chrono 48 hours took the first victims

Early yesterday morning, a special test for Dakar Rally drivers in all categories started: 48 hours chrono or in translation a two-day drive of about 1,000 kilometers with an overnight stay in the desert in almost warlike conditions.

As if the fact that this is the most difficult and most interesting global rally manifestation is not enough for the organizers of the Dakar Rally, they have added a two-day “wandering” through the desert of Saudi Arabia, 1,000 kilometers long, which takes place in two days, with sleeping under tents in the desert in one of six bivouacs. .

   A.S.O. / Charly Lopez

Already in the first section, more precisely at 337 kilometers from the start, last year’s winner Carlos Sainz attacked a sand dune at full speed, as he had done thousands of times before in his more than forty-year-long rally career. What he did not “feel” from the configuration of the terrain was that the next dune was waiting for him immediately behind it, which created a real trap for the overheated car. This was followed by a rollover and severe damage to his Ford Raptor, but still not so fatal as to save us from one of the rally’s favorites and magicians right at the start.

ASO Julien Delfose

The engine, steering and brakes remained serviceable, enough for Carlos Sainz to say “it’s not over yet” and continue on, the next over 600 kilometers to the base in Bisha

ASO Julien Delfose

It should be emphasized that until the return to the bivouac in Bisha, Carlos and his co-pilot Santana have no one to help with the repair of their nearly broken Ford Raptor, of which only the chassis remains, without armor, windshield and who knows what else.

A.S.O. Florent Gooden

ASO Julien Delfose

ASO Julien Delfose

Information reaches our permanent bivouac in Bisha that the drivers spent the night well, wherever they happened to be, with a campfire, a soldier’s dry meal and learning how to survive in nature in the icy desert night. Cruel after over 600 kilometers of terribly hard driving.

A.S.O. Florent Gooden

The statement of the youngest motorcyclist in this caravan, Edgar Caneta, who is 19 years old and comes from Barcelona, ​​one of the future champions, is perhaps the best testimony to everything, who says that from 250 km to 450 km, the sea of ​​sand was very challenging for him. “An endless amount of very soft sand lined the dunes endlessly, only after 450 kilometers when I left the dune region did I find my rhythm. this cold night ahead” says Kane.

ASO Julien Delfose

While Sainz is driving without half the car and the windshield, we are in the bivouac, so while we wait for them, we are dealing with important topics for our Dakar 2025 TV reportage.

Hot Tires

Lidija moves through the camp, which is about 2 kilometers long and wide, driving with her best friend Ahmet in a tanker truck.

Hot Tires

We talk to dr. Florance Pommerie the medical director of the Dakar Rally.

This experienced and serious emergency medicine specialist he has been leading a team of 60 members for 19 years, taking care of almost 3,000 people (drivers, mechanics, organizers, journalists….) and she had all sorts of interesting things to say about our show.

The largest part of the team deals with physical medicine for the recovery of the motorcycle driver’s body, but unfortunately also with serious injuries, burns and saving the driver’s life. He says, “KTM even sent their orthopedic surgeon to accompany the team.”

Waiting for Carlos…

Exclusively from Saudi Arabia

Miodrag Piroški

Naslovna: A.S.O. / Charly Lopez

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Source: vrelegume.rs