Stage 2 of the 2015 Dakar was designed to unsettle even the most experienced competitors with 518 kilometres of hostile terrain.
Isuzu Motorsports driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki were making great progress moving up places as they passed through the 13 way-points along Dakar's longest stage when they encountered a problem 80 kilometres from the end. Â
At the time of writing exact details are not known although it is believed to be mechanical issue. The difficult territory prohibited the service truck from reaching them to assist, leaving Di Lallo and Suzuki to spend the night under the stars in the Pampa de las Salinas, approximately 160 kilometres from the Dakar Bivouac.
Further updates will be released as more details become known.
Of the 135 vehicles that started the stage, according to the Dakar results website, just 60 have reached the end thus far, some 19 hours after the start of the stage.
For Stage 3, the event route continues to take competitors north, where they’ll experience the majestic sight of red earth tracks, overlooking steep peaks and plunging canyons. It’ll be a less busy day for competitors, with a reasonably short 220 kilometre special selection, followed by a 437 kilometre liaison to the small city of Chilecito, which is overlooked by rocky hills with snowcapped peaks.
To achieve the level of physical fitness required for the extreme conditions of Dakar, many of this year’s 665 competitors would have spent a couple of years preparing for their entry. Dakar competitors average 701 kilometres per stage, on tough terrain and often in challenging weather conditions.
The Dakar Rally is held over 13 days, seeing competitors follow a loop course format, departing from Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 4, passing through Chile and Bolivia, before finishing in Buenos Aires on January 17, 2015.
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