2014 Dakar Rally – Sherco’s Juan Pedrero Wins Stage Four
Much changed in the overall 2014 Dakar Rally rankings following stage four, including five-time Dakar winner Cyril Despres dropping back from second to sixth.
Wednesday’s competition at the race that will take riders a total of 5427 miles through South America was the second part of the “marathon” stage that begin Tuesday, which means each motorcycle competitor had no help from mechanics. But at the conclusion of Wednesday’s racing, the riders will be re-united with their mechanics for whatever work is needed to push ahead through the remaining nine stages.
Taking the top time in stage four, which took riders 350 miles (130-mile liaison, 219-mile special) from San Juan to Chilecito, Argentina, was Samsung Sherco Rally Factory 450 SR pilot Juan Pedrero Garcia (No. 23).
This was the first Dakar stage win for Pedrero, who was formerly Marc Coma’s water boy. It was also a first win for Sherco in 2014 Dakar; the other three stages were won on Honda CRF450 Rally machinery.
Following Pedrero 29 seconds back was Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez (Red Bull KTM 450 Rally). Three-time Dakar winner Coma, who missed last year’s rally due to recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the Morocco Rally, finished third, 3 minutes 10 seconds behind Pedrero.
The man who lead throughout the first three stages – Team HRC Honda’s Joan Barreda – was quick off the start, but would eventually finish sixth, almost 14 minutes off Pedrero’s time.
Regardless, “Bang, Bang” Barreda – who won stages one and three – continues to hold the overall lead, but it’s only by a slim margin after four of 13 stages. Creeping up quickly is Red Bull KTM’s Marc Comca, who trails by 3 minutes 10 seconds. Lopez is in third, 5 minutes 12 seconds back.
These three are the only ones near Barreda; the next closest rider is Samsung Sherco pilot, Alain Duclos, who is 25 minutes 55 seconds off the top time.
From the official Dakar report – “Lopez went on the attack from the beginning and led the way at each Check Point. Even though it was not good enough for a twelfth Dakar stage win, his strong ride allowed him to claw back lots of time. Meanwhile, Spain’s Joan Barreda lost precious minutes due to a navigation error, although he managed to limit the damage by pushing his motorcycle hard towards the end. He now holds a slim lead in the general classification, 3:10 ahead of Marc Coma, who produced a virtuoso performance in today’s stage.
“Just behind them on the course was Juan Pedrero, who showed he has outgrown his previous role as Marc Coma’s lieutenant at KTM by lighting the fireworks and bringing his Sherco across the finish line 29″ faster than López.”
As for Despres, he stopped over seven miles from the Chilecito finish line, ending the day 16th quickest. This dropped him down to sixth in the overall rankings, 41 minutes behind Barreda. Despres has a long history of amazing comebacks, but this one will be hard to recover from.
There was also misfortune for the UK’s Sam Sunderland, the winner of stage two. The HRC Honda pilot was forced to retire after his CRF 450 Rally’s engine blew up.
Check out the stage-four action during the “Dakar Rally Series,” which will air on NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. ET Thursday. Tuesday’s stage-two review will air tonight at 5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. For the entire broadcast USA “Dakar Rally Series” schedule, click here.
2014 Dakar Rally Stage Four Quotes:
Joan Barreda Bort (Team HRC Honda CRF450 Rally) says: “I was going well in the stage, until about 80 km from the end when I took a wrong turning after seeing a note at the river crossing. I’d spent a long time yesterday going over the roadbook which also indicated another way.
“I lost a lot of time. I went back to the same place, and then took the same wrong direction. I fell while I was trying to make up the lost time. But the good thing is that I’ve been able to salvage something out it…I lost a bit of time, but we continue to be ahead. Tomorrow is another day and we will try and rectify everything.”
2014 Dakar Rally: A Look at Stage 5 (Thursday, Jan. 9)
Stage 5 will take riders 327 miles from Chilecito to Tucuman, Argentina (239-mile liaison, 88-mile special).
2014 Dakar Rally Stage Four Results:
Pos. | N° | Name | Mark | Time | variation | Penalty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
23 |
|
SHERCO | 05:29:13 | – | – |
2 |
5 |
|
KTM | 05:29:42 | 00:00:29 | – |
3 |
2 |
|
KTM | 05:32:23 | 00:03:10 | – |
4 |
38 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 05:35:43 | 00:06:30 | – |
5 |
6 |
|
YAMAHA | 05:36:14 | 00:07:01 | – |
6 |
3 |
|
HONDA | 05:43:09 | 00:13:56 | – |
7 |
10 |
|
HONDA | 05:47:51 | 00:18:38 | – |
8 |
16 |
|
KTM | 05:48:43 | 00:19:30 | – |
9 |
22 |
|
SHERCO | 05:52:26 | 00:23:13 | – |
10 |
26 |
|
HONDA | 05:53:51 | 00:24:38 | – |
11 |
4 |
|
KTM | 05:57:50 | 00:28:37 | – |
12 |
19 |
|
KTM | 05:59:45 | 00:30:32 | – |
13 |
15 |
|
KTM | 06:00:07 | 00:30:54 | – |
14 |
9 |
|
KTM | 06:03:10 | 00:33:57 | – |
15 |
24 |
|
GAS – GAS | 06:08:04 | 00:38:51 | – |
16 |
1 |
|
YAMAHA | 06:11:22 | 00:42:09 | – |
17 |
52 |
|
HONDA | 06:18:29 | 00:49:16 | – |
18 |
76 |
|
YAMAHA | 06:19:16 | 00:50:03 | – |
19 |
7 |
|
HONDA | 06:20:03 | 00:50:50 | – |
20 |
50 |
|
HONDA | 06:21:26 | 00:52:13 | – |
21 |
40 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 06:23:17 | 00:54:04 | – |
22 |
37 |
|
HONDA | 06:26:43 | 00:57:30 | – |
23 |
28 |
|
KTM | 06:32:03 | 01:02:50 | – |
24 |
39 |
|
KTM | 06:34:12 | 01:04:59 | – |
25 |
83 |
|
KAWASAKI | 06:35:07 | 01:05:54 | – |
26 |
74 |
|
KTM | 06:42:20 | 01:13:07 | – |
27 |
57 |
|
YAMAHA | 06:44:04 | 01:14:51 | – |
28 |
46 |
|
HONDA | 06:53:05 | 01:23:52 | – |
29 |
59 |
|
KTM | 06:57:13 | 01:28:00 | – |
30 |
33 |
|
SUZUKI | 06:57:49 | 01:28:36 | – |
31 |
196 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:00:35 | 01:31:22 | – |
32 |
31 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 07:00:38 | 01:31:25 | – |
33 |
27 |
|
GAS – GAS | 07:04:23 | 01:35:10 | – |
34 |
103 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:08:04 | 01:38:51 | – |
35 |
165 |
|
KTM | 07:08:25 | 01:39:12 | – |
36 |
117 |
|
HONDA | 07:09:58 | 01:40:45 | – |
37 |
69 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:11:06 | 01:41:53 | – |
38 |
17 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:12:44 | 01:43:31 | – |
39 |
72 |
|
KTM | 07:12:47 | 01:43:34 | – |
40 |
45 |
|
GAS – GAS | 07:13:36 | 01:44:23 | – |
41 |
73 |
|
KAWASAKI | 07:13:39 | 01:44:26 | – |
42 |
96 |
|
SUZUKI | 07:13:41 | 01:44:28 | – |
43 |
133 |
|
HONDA | 07:14:07 | 01:44:54 | – |
44 |
131 |
|
KTM | 07:14:20 | 01:45:07 | – |
45 |
75 |
|
KTM | 07:14:50 | 01:45:37 | – |
46 |
42 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:15:42 | 01:46:29 | – |
47 |
53 |
|
HUSQVARNA | 07:16:47 | 01:47:34 | – |
48 |
63 |
|
SHERCO | 07:17:29 | 01:48:16 | – |
49 |
36 |
|
SUZUKI | 07:18:17 | 01:49:04 | – |
50 |
101 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:18:48 | 01:49:35 | – |
51 |
41 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:19:49 | 01:50:36 | – |
52 |
44 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 07:20:06 | 01:50:53 | – |
53 |
106 |
|
KTM | 07:20:06 | 01:50:53 | – |
54 |
185 |
|
KTM | 07:20:32 | 01:51:19 | – |
55 |
51 |
|
KTM | 07:22:08 | 01:52:55 | – |
56 |
98 |
|
KTM | 07:23:01 | 01:53:48 | – |
57 |
79 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:23:29 | 01:54:16 | – |
58 |
86 |
|
KTM | 07:23:35 | 01:54:22 | – |
59 |
34 |
|
KTM | 07:24:49 | 01:55:36 | – |
60 |
67 |
|
HONDA | 07:25:56 | 01:56:43 | – |
61 |
14 |
|
HONDA | 07:27:20 | 01:58:07 | – |
62 |
184 |
|
KTM | 07:27:35 | 01:58:22 | – |
63 |
174 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:28:36 | 01:59:23 | – |
64 |
141 |
|
KAWASAKI | 07:28:39 | 01:59:26 | – |
65 |
65 |
|
HONDA | 07:28:49 | 01:59:36 | – |
66 |
126 |
|
KTM | 07:30:01 | 02:00:48 | – |
67 |
85 |
|
KTM | 07:30:07 | 02:00:54 | – |
68 |
189 |
|
HONDA | 07:30:42 | 02:01:29 | – |
69 |
30 |
|
KTM | 07:30:53 | 02:01:40 | – |
70 |
55 |
|
KAWASAKI | 07:31:34 | 02:02:21 | – |
71 |
64 |
|
KTM | 07:33:11 | 02:03:58 | – |
72 |
100 |
|
YAMAHA | 07:34:54 | 02:05:41 | – |
73 |
135 |
|
HONDA | 07:35:41 | 02:06:28 | – |
2014 Dakar Rally Overall Ranking (after four of 13 stages):
Pos. | N° | Name | Mark | Time | variation | Penalty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
3 |
|
HONDA | 15:39:53 | – | – |
2 |
2 |
|
KTM | 15:43:03 | 00:03:10 | – |
3 |
5 |
|
KTM | 15:45:05 | 00:05:12 | – |
4 |
22 |
|
SHERCO | 16:05:48 | 00:25:55 | – |
5 |
6 |
|
YAMAHA | 16:09:31 | 00:29:38 | – |
6 |
1 |
|
YAMAHA | 16:21:10 | 00:41:17 | – |
7 |
9 |
|
KTM | 16:22:10 | 00:42:17 | – |
8 |
38 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 16:26:26 | 00:46:33 | – |
9 |
4 |
|
KTM | 16:29:07 | 00:49:14 | – |
10 |
15 |
|
KTM | 16:34:45 | 00:54:52 | – |
11 |
19 |
|
KTM | 16:36:38 | 00:56:45 | – |
12 |
24 |
|
GAS – GAS | 17:00:00 | 01:20:07 | – |
13 |
26 |
|
HONDA | 17:12:04 | 01:32:11 | – |
14 |
16 |
|
KTM | 17:12:36 | 01:32:43 | – |
15 |
7 |
|
HONDA | 17:15:28 | 01:35:35 | – |
16 |
23 |
|
SHERCO | 17:19:44 | 01:39:51 | – |
17 |
37 |
|
HONDA | 17:42:32 | 02:02:39 | – |
18 |
50 |
|
HONDA | 17:56:29 | 02:16:36 | – |
19 |
10 |
|
HONDA | 18:06:41 | 02:26:48 | – |
20 |
17 |
|
YAMAHA | 18:15:49 | 02:35:56 | – |
21 |
76 |
|
YAMAHA | 18:17:47 | 02:37:54 | – |
22 |
30 |
|
KTM | 18:21:56 | 02:42:03 | – |
23 |
28 |
|
KTM | 18:28:52 | 02:48:59 | – |
24 |
40 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 18:30:42 | 02:50:49 | – |
25 |
52 |
|
HONDA | 18:36:20 | 02:56:27 | – |
26 |
39 |
|
KTM | 18:42:27 | 03:02:34 | – |
27 |
67 |
|
HONDA | 19:44:16 | 04:04:23 | – |
28 |
133 |
|
HONDA | 19:47:24 | 04:07:31 | – |
29 |
103 |
|
YAMAHA | 19:48:40 | 04:08:47 | – |
30 |
41 |
|
YAMAHA | 19:50:04 | 04:10:11 | – |
31 |
31 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 19:53:24 | 04:13:31 | 00:15:00 |
32 |
14 |
|
HONDA | 19:53:55 | 04:14:02 | – |
33 |
73 |
|
KAWASAKI | 19:56:25 | 04:16:32 | – |
34 |
33 |
|
SUZUKI | 20:02:17 | 04:22:24 | – |
35 |
36 |
|
SUZUKI | 20:02:37 | 04:22:44 | – |
36 |
45 |
|
GAS – GAS | 20:02:56 | 04:23:03 | – |
37 |
44 |
|
SPEEDBRAIN | 20:05:45 | 04:25:52 | – |
38 |
53 |
|
HUSQVARNA | 20:06:32 | 04:26:39 | 00:05:00 |
39 |
83 |
|
KAWASAKI | 20:09:04 | 04:29:11 | – |
40 |
74 |
|
KTM | 20:09:57 | 04:30:04 | – |
41 |
86 |
|
KTM | 20:11:11 | 04:31:18 | – |
42 |
46 |
|
HONDA | 20:15:47 | 04:35:54 | – |
43 |
42 |
|
YAMAHA | 20:21:34 | 04:41:41 | – |
44 |
174 |
|
YAMAHA | 20:23:23 | 04:43:30 | – |
45 |
117 |
|
HONDA | 20:37:44 | 04:57:51 | – |
46 |
69 |
|
YAMAHA | 20:41:24 | 05:01:31 | – |
47 |
34 |
|
KTM | 20:42:04 | 05:02:11 | – |
48 |
27 |
|
GAS – GAS | 20:42:47 | 05:02:54 | – |
49 |
59 |
|
KTM | 20:43:19 | 05:03:26 | – |
50 |
79 |
|
YAMAHA | 20:46:10 | 05:06:17 | – |
51 |
141 |
|
KAWASAKI | 20:57:44 | 05:17:51 | – |
52 |
165 |
|
KTM | 20:58:13 | 05:18:20 | – |
53 |
75 |
|
KTM | 21:15:12 | 05:35:19 | – |
54 |
131 |
|
KTM | 21:16:14 | 05:36:21 | – |
55 |
184 |
|
KTM | 21:17:05 | 05:37:12 | – |
56 |
106 |
|
KTM | 21:20:35 | 05:40:42 | – |
57 |
51 |
|
KTM | 21:22:34 | 05:42:41 | – |
58 |
185 |
|
KTM | 21:23:25 | 05:43:32 | – |
59 |
57 |
|
YAMAHA | 21:26:39 | 05:46:46 | – |
60 |
135 |
|
HONDA | 21:30:32 | 05:50:39 | – |
61 |
63 |
|
SHERCO | 21:45:15 | 06:05:22 | – |
62 |
101 |
|
YAMAHA | 21:49:53 | 06:10:00 | – |
63 |
64 |
|
KTM | 21:53:24 | 06:13:31 | – |
64 |
55 |
|
KAWASAKI | 21:54:29 | 06:14:36 | – |
65 |
65 |
|
HONDA | 21:56:25 | 06:16:32 | – |
66 |
126 |
|
KTM | 21:57:54 | 06:18:01 | – |
67 |
189 |
|
HONDA | 22:08:05 | 06:28:12 | – |
68 |
72 |
|
KTM | 22:18:21 | 06:38:28 | 00:01:00 |
69 |
85 |
|
KTM | 22:24:40 | 06:44:47 | – |
70 |
100 |
|
YAMAHA | 22:44:23 | 07:04:30 | – |
71 |
196 |
|
YAMAHA | 23:53:02 | 08:13:09 | – |
72 |
98 |
|
KTM | 24:11:20 | 08:31:27 | – |
73 |
96 |
|
SUZUKI | 25:16:58 | 09:37:05 | 01:00:00 |