Pablo Quintanilla has not had an easy time in this edition of the Dakar Rally, and his eighth place in the overall standings partially illustrates some of the problems he has faced. Ninth in yesterday’s stage—the fifth, a marathon—the rider admitted he didn’t feel at his best.
The Chilean, who races for Honda, spoke about his day yesterday: ‘This marathon stage was very tough, the terrain was extremely difficult to navigate, and I didn’t feel good because I couldn’t find a good rhythm during the two days.’
Still, the expectation is that the situation will improve since there is still a long way to go: ‘It is what it is, it wasn’t a good marathon stage for me, but we still have many days ahead, and I know in this race there are good days and bad days, but it’s important to stay calm, focused, and give 100% every day.’
Forty minutes behind the leader, Quintanilla has Luciano Benavides as his closest rival in seventh place, just over eight minutes ahead. Behind him is Nacho Cornejo.
