The 39th edition of the annual Dakar Rally is officially in the books after another great race. Kicking off the new year, 318 vehicles raced across three countries – Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina – from January 2-14 in an effort to complete the course and become the newest Dakar champions.
This year’s course was mapped out over 8800 kilometers (5468 miles), frequently rode at elevations around 3700 kilometers (12,139 feet), and took place across 12 stages in 14 days with one official rest day. Stage 6 and stage 9 were completely cancelled, however, due to conditions resulting from excessive rain and extreme weather, and stages 7 and 8 experienced revised or modified course routes because of the weather conditions as well. Riders tackled a huge variety of conditions over the duration of the race such as changing terrain, extreme dry and heat to slick, wet rides through the mud, and elevation changes that presented challenges of their own. In the end, 69% of the racers that left the starting line in Asuncion, Paraguay would eventually cross the finish line in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with 97 motorcycles, 22 quads and five UTVs among those final finishers.
Motorcycle Report
As the race began, all eyes were on last year’s bike champion, Australian Toby Price, anticipating a hard fight from the rider for back-to-back championships. However, his KTM teammates Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner were expected to push hard to claim their place as the respective champions for 2017 as well.
In the early stages of the race, the top finishers fluctuated generously, seeing different riders out in front each day. But the KTM team was right up there in the mix. U.S. rider Ricky Brabec was among the top riders at the beginning, finishing 2nd in stage 1 and 1st in stage 7. Unfortunately for Toby Price, his dreams of consecutive championships came to a painful halt when a heavy crash during stage 4 broke his femur in multiple locations, requiring a helicopter ride to the hospital and surgery in Bolivia to repair the damage. Though the injuries were extensive, Price is expected to make a full recovery. Brabec experienced trouble as well when he suffered some mechanical issues that resulted in a DNF and his retirement from the race for the year during stage 10.
By the end of stage 5, a new leader emerged and began to work to solidify that position over the next seven stages. For Sam Sunderland, consistency was proving to be key. Though he only won one stage, his consistent results began to add up and by the end of the race, he was crowned as champion (the first British racer to win the Dakar) with a 32:00 minute lead over 2nd place, Matthias Walkner. Both Sunderland and Walkner had never before finished the entire Dakar, so the wins were a sweet victory for them both. Gerard Farres Guell of Spain finished out the top three, coming in with a time just 3:40 behind Walkner.
Motorcycle Results
Pos. | No. | Name | Country | Bike | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 14 | Sam Sunderland | United Kingdom | KTM | 32:06:22 |
2 | 16 | Matthias Walkner | Austria | KTM | 32:38:22 |
3 | 8 | Gerard Farres Guell | Spain | KTM | 32:42:02 |
4 | 6 | Adrien Van Beveren | France | Yamaha | 32:42:50 |
5 | 11 | Joan Barreda Bort | Spain | Honda | 32:49:30 |
6 | 17 | Paulo Goncalves | Portugal | Honda | 32:58:51 |
7 | 31 | Pierre Alexandre Renet | France | Husqvarna | 33:03:57 |
8 | 67 | Franco Caimi | Argentina | Honda | 33:48:40 |
9 | 5 | Helder Rodrigues | Portugal | Yamaha | 34:09:28 |
10 | 32 | Juan Carlos Salvatierra | Bolivia | KTM | 34:29:15 |
11 | 45 | Ondrej Klymciw | Czech Republic | Husqvarna | 34:29:52 |
12 | 27 | Joaquim Rodrigues | Portugal | Hero Speedbrain | 34:30:46 |
13 | 12 | Juan Pedro Garcia | Spain | Sherco TVS | 34:39:08 |
14 | 15 | Michael Metge | France | Honda | 34:44:54 |
15 | 34 | Diego Martin Duplessis | Argentina | KTM | 35:07:26 |
16 | 19 | Laia Sanz | Spain | KTM | 35:08:16 |
17 | 29 | Emanuel Gyenes | Romania | KTM | 35:54:58 |
18 | 79 | Todd Smith | Australia | KTM | 35:59:47 |
19 | 82 | Daniel Oliveras Carreras | Spain | KTM | 36:06:19 |
20 | 28 | Mario Patrao | Portugal | KTM | 36:10:52 |
21 | 87 | Cristian Espana Munoz | Andorra | KTM | 36:16:48 |
22 | 26 | Adrien Metge | France | Sherco TVS | 36:25:31 |
23 | 33 | Antonio Gimeno Garcia | Spain | KTM | 36:45:37 |
24 | 50 | Daniel Nosilglia Jager | Bolivia | Honda | 36:59:55 |
25 | 2 | Stefan Svitko | Slovakia | KTM | 37:24:12 |
26 | 64 | Goncalo Reis | Portugal | KTM | 37:31:33 |
27 | 37 | Nicolas Alberto Cardona Vagnoni | Venezuela | KTM | 37:31:37 |
28 | 48 | Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo | Chile | KTM | 37:35:37 |
29 | 41 | Marc Sola Terradellas | Spain | Yamaha | 37:37:53 |
30 | 117 | Toomas Triisa | Estonia | Husqvarna | 37:55:05 |
31 | 40 | Loic Minaudier | France | KTM | 37:56:40 |
32 | 60 | Aleksandr Ivaniutin | Russia | Husqvarna | 38:23:44 |
33 | 51 | Patricio Cabrera | Chile | Kawasaki | 38:24:43 |
34 | 52 | Milan Engel | Czech Republic | KTM | 38:33:32 |
35 | 46 | Fabricio Fuentes | Bolivia | KTM | 38:41:24 |
36 | 109 | Vincent Crosbie | Botswana | KTM | 38:43:37 |
37 | 68 | Simone Agazzi | Italy | Honda | 39:09:59 |
38 | 70 | Alessandro Ruoso | Italy | KTM | 40:26:13 |
39 | 100 | Lyndon Poskitt | United Kingdom | KTM | 40:27:50 |
40 | 47 | Jose Julian Kozac | Argentina | KTM | 40:41:29 |
41 | 66 | Walter Nosiglia Jager | Bolivia | Honda | 40:47:03 |
42 | 131 | Fernando Sousa Jr. | Portugal | KTM | 41:03:24 |
43 | 35 | Robert Jr Van Pelt | Netherlands | Husqvarna | 41:19:56 |
44 | 149 | Matthew Hart | Australia | Husqvarna | 41:26:08 |
45 | 38 | David Pabiska | Czech Republic | KTM | 41:31:04 |
46 | 55 | Pablo Oscar Pascual | Argentina | KTM | 41:39:10 |
47 | 42 | Santosh Chunchunguppe Sivanshankar | India | Hero Speedbrain | 42:01:16 |
48 | 58 | Pablo Rodriguez | Argentina | KTM | 42:12:11 |
49 | 105 | Fausto Mota | Portugal | Yamaha | 42:45:03 |
50 | 123 | Maikel Verkade | Netherlands | KTM | 42:45:34 |
51 | 54 | Manuel Lucchese | Italy | Yamaha | 42:46:01 |
52 | 107 | Max Hunt | United Kingdom | Husqvarna | 43:08:17 |
53 | 103 | Rui Oliveira | Portugal | Yamaha | 43:17:36 |
54 | 83 | Alberto Santiago Ontiveros | Argentina | Beta | 43:20:22 |
55 | 95 | Mart Meeru | Estonia | Husqvarna | 43:38:40 |
56 | 141 | Janos Desi | Hungary | KTM | 44:29:33 |
57 | 75 | Pedro Bianci Prata | Portugal | Honda | 44:38:21 |
58 | 63 | Toia Diocleziano | Italy | KTM | 44:44:45 |
59 | 159 | Richard Fliter | Brazil | Honda | 45:01:38 |
60 | 112 | Kevin Echeveste | Argentina | KTM | 45:20:20 |
61 | 69 | Hugo Payen | France | KTM | 45:28:52 |
62 | 157 | Emiliano Carbonero | Argentina | Kawasaki | 46:06:13 |
63 | 90 | Carlos Gracida Garza | Mexico | Husqvarna | 46:16:07 |
64 | 135 | Sergio Anguiano Reig | Spain | KTM | 46:21:02 |
65 | 96 | Cristobal Andres Guldman Gonzalez | Chile | Kawasaki | 46:26:08 |
66 | 62 | Laurent Lazard | Uruguay | KTM | 46:59:42 |
67 | 118 | Shinnosuke Kazama | Japan | Yamaha | 47:00:18 |
68 | 126 | Petr Vlcek | Czech Republic | Husqvarna | 47:23:25 |
69 | 98 | Jose Candia | Paraguay | KTM | 47:44:19 |
70 | 57 | Philippe Cavelius | France | KTM | 47:54:47 |
71 | 80 | Marcel Butuza | Romania | KTM | 48:13:32 |
72 | 56 | Jean-Christophe Menard | France | KTM | 48:20:36 |
73 | 72 | Gabor Saghmeister | Serbia | KTM | 48:31:39 |
74 | 150 | Mateo Moreno Kristiansen | Columbia | KTM | 48:54:25 |
75 | 59 | Anastasiya Nifontova | Russia | Husqvarna | 49:25:07 |
76 | 102 | Gilles Vanderweyen | Belgium | KTM | 49:41:21 |
77 | 86 | Julian Jose Garcia Merino | Spain | Yamaha | 49:59:44 |
78 | 148 | Arnaud Monin | France | KTM | 50:20:32 |
79 | 92 | Carlo Vellutino | Peru | KTM | 50:28:57 |
80 | 81 | Rosa Romero Font | Spain | KTM | 50:59:10 |
81 | 89 | Pawel Stasiaczek | Poland | KTM | 51:06:27 |
82 | 162 | Rudolf Lhotsky | Czech Republic | KTM | 51:28:25 |
83 | 155 | Arjan Bos | Netherlands | Husqvarna | 51:57:50 |
84 | 120 | David Watson | United Kingdom | KTM | 52:17:18 |
85 | 61 | Franco Picco | Italy | Yamaha | 52:34:24 |
86 | 111 | Marco Reinike | Chile | KTM | 53:05:06 |
87 | 154 | Gregory Morat | France | KTM | 55:03:08 |
88 | 78 | Ibraheem Alrubaian | Kuwait | KTM | 55:21:21 |
89 | 133 | John Comoglio | France | KTM | 56:10:02 |
90 | 65 | Guillaume Chollet | France | Yamaha | 56:37:41 |
91 | 125 | Hugues Deliege | France | KTM | 61:01:13 |
92 | 124 | Timothee Vacherand | France | KTM | 61:03:27 |
93 | 137 | Olivier Hembert | France | Yamaha | 64:56:03 |
94 | 132 | Joey Evans | South Africa | KTM | 65:01:44 |
95 | 88 | Frantz Roquesalane | France | KTM | 65:13:40 |
96 | 166 | Danny Robert Nogales Copa | Bolivia | KTM | 65:24:05 |
Note: Only finishers are listed here.
Quad Report
It was anyone’s guess who would become the quad winners of the 2017 Dakar as both the 2016 1st and 2nd place winners were not even going to be present. However, both Ignacio Casale and Rafal Sonik have both won in years past, so they might fight a little harder to taste the victory of the win once again.
It would be Brazil’s Marcelo Medeiros that would take the inaugural win during stage one, but a crash during stage 3 would take him out of the race and the running entirely. Argentina’s Gaston Gonzalez also had a great first race, coming in second. However, he too would unfortunately suffer a crash that left him with multiple fractures and an end to his racing during stage 4.
The leading spot would switch hands multiple times at the start of the event, but Sergey Karyakin had surged forward by stage 7, leading the pack and eventually finishing the course with a 1:14:51 lead. Ignacio Casale won multiple individual stages, and his efforts would land him 2nd place overall after the conclusion of the race. Pablo Copetti was able to cross the finish line in his own country to take the 3rd place position on the podium.
Quad Results
Pos. | No. | Name | Country | Bike | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 254 | Sergey Karyakin | Russia | Yamaha | 39:18:52 |
2 | 251 | Ignacio Casale | Chile | Yamaha | 40:33:43 |
3 | 263 | Pablo Copetti | Argentina | Yamaha | 43:39:11 |
4 | 250 | Rafal Sonik | Poland | Yamaha | 44:52:21 |
5 | 280 | Axel Dutrie | France | Yamaha | 45:04:16 |
6 | 262 | Bruno Da Costa | France | Yamaha | 45:16:10 |
7 | 261 | Santiago Hansen | Argentina | Honda | 45:16:11 |
8 | 257 | Nelson Augusto Sanabria Galeano | Paraguay | Yamaha | 45:30:38 |
9 | 258 | Daniel Domaszewski | Argentina | Honda | 45:58:37 |
10 | 284 | Kamil Wisniewski | Poland | Can Am | 47:25:01 |
11 | 278 | Alexandre Giroud | France | Yamaha | 49:04:00 |
12 | 276 | Zdenek Tuma | Czech Republic | Yamaha | 50:07:10 |
13 | 259 | Camelia Liparoti | France | Yamaha | 51:35:41 |
14 | 274 | Carlos Alejandro Verza | Argentina | Yamaha | 56:00:51 |
15 | 264 | Diego Licio | Uruguay | Yamaha | 56:44:53 |
16 | 283 | Gaston Pando | Argentina | Yamaha | 57:46:33 |
17 | 267 | Kees Koolen | Netherlands | Barren Racer | 58:41:25 |
18 | 266 | Leando Creatore | Argentina | Yamaha | 61:02:26 |
19 | 268 | Jan Bastiaan Nijen Twilhaar | Netherlands | Can Am | 67:16:57 |
20 | 282 | Pablo Gaston Rios | Argentina | Yamaha | 67:23:39 |
21 | 273 | Pablo Luis Bustamante | Argentina | Can Am | 72:42:16 |
22 | 265 | Lucas Innocente | Argentina | Can Am | 73:09:54 |
Note: Only finishers are listed here.
UTV Report
2017 marked the inaugural year for the new UTV class in the Dakar Rally. Eight UTVs lined up to start and only five would complete the full course, so the field had a pretty good chance at being stacked when it came to competition. However, of the eight riders who lined up to participate originally, four of those riders were rookies to the Dakar.
Mao Ruijin and Leandro Torres were the names the crowd would recognize most out of all of the riders, primarily because of prior racing experience. Torres battled back and forth for the win over nearly all 12 stages, but in the end he would win the event with a 4:42:34 lead. Wang Fujiang of China and Ravil Maganov of Russia rounded out the podium for the UTV class.
UTV Results
Pos. | No. | Name | Country | Bike | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 351 | Leandro Torres Lourival Roldan | Brazil Brazil | Polaris | 54:01:50 |
2 | 386 | Wang Fujiang Li Wei | China China | Polaris | 58:44:24 |
3 | 378 | Maganov Ravil Kirill Shubin | Russia Russia | Polaris | 60:07:25 |
4 | 342 | Mao Ruijin Sebastien Delaunay | China France | Polaris | 77:31:57 |
5 | 374 | Li Dongsheng Quanquan Guan | China China | Polaris | 78:47:15 |
Note: Only finishers are listed here.
By Rachel Bretzing