2012 Pharaons Rally Stage 5 Results
Speedbrain Husqvarnai’s Joan Barreda found a rider that was faster than him on Friday. The leader in the overall standings wasn’t pushing flat out for the stage win, and was more than happy to manage his lead and, more importantly, hone his navigating skills.
Indeed, during this fifth stage it was very difficult for everyone to find their way, with many navigational errors being committed. The most glaring of them involved Paolo Goncalves, who lost what seemed like an eternity, 1h16’ to the stage winner Jakub Przygonski (KTM)
The result allowed the Polish rider to regain his smile, as he continues his pursuit of Barreda and the Husqvarna: “The start of the stage was fairly easy, while the final 200 kilometers were very demanding. There were stones, fesh-fesh, and I had to blaze the trail. I wanted to win, and I did it! I’m extra happy because it was stage with tricky navigation. What’s more, it could allow me to keep third place in the world championship, but we’ll wait for tomorrow for that.”
So we have one happy winner, and one relaxed Joan Barreda in the bivouac after a refreshing shower. Perhaps most content of all, however, was Bolivian rider Carlos Salvatierra, who finished the stage in fourth place. “I’ve run a good rally thus far. I’ve ridden well every day, but today was fantastic. When I arrived at the refueling point, I was in the lead! I lost a little time in the second part of the stage, but riding together with Barreda was an incredible experience.”
Pal Ullevalseter got started again this morning after changing the gearbox on his KTM: “I finished 1’35” from Jakub, which isn’t bad! I lost a little time over the jumps in the fesh-fesh, and I need a little more training; I hadn’t raced since the Dakar, and I need to be ready for the next one.”
Jordi Viladoms finished the day in fifth position, still suffering from pain in his ribs: “I caught up to Salvatierra, who was riding with a good pace, and I managed to stay behind him. I still haven’t fully recovered from the other day’s crash, so I am riding with caution. When I started to push a little harder the pain returned, but today I gained a position in the overall standings.”
Joan Barreda retains his advantage in the overall standings, heading into the final stage with a lead of 17’32” on Jakub Przygonski and 1h06′ over Jordi Viladoms. Tomorrow’s stage will conclude at the scenic Giza Pyramids.
