Rui Gonçalves continues to be the best Portuguese in the 2024 edition of the Dakar. This Wednesday he signed the 19th time in the fifth stage and remains among the top 15 overall.
With only 118km timed, the transmontano was 7m29s behind the day’s winner, Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda). In the overall standings, he dropped one position and is now in 15th place.
Rookie Bruno Santos achieved his best result so far: he finished 23rd in the day (second among rookies), 9m39s behind the leader, which earned him a gain of three positions in the rally classification – he is now 36th as the fourth best rookie.
Also in the top 30 was António Maio (Drag’on Rally Team/Yamaha), in 26th place. The Borba rider had a worse result than yesterday, but still managed to climb from 25th to 24th in the overall standings.
Registered in Original by Motul, Mário Patrão (Crédito Agrícola mariopatrao.com/Honda) was second in the category and 35th overall, suffering a two-minute penalty. The man from Seia also imposed himself among the veterans, where he leads in the rally classification, and climbed one place to now be 37th overall.
As for Alexandre Azinhais, aboard a KTM from Club Aventura Touareg, he signed the 98th mark – far from yesterday’s 67th place, which was his best result so far. He dropped three places in the overall standings, where he is now 77th.
Portuguese in Stage 5:
19th Rui Gonçalves (Sherco Rally Factory): 1h40m22s (+ 7m29s)
23rd Bruno Santos (XRaids Experience/Husqvarna): 1h42m32s (+ 9m39s)
26th António Maio (Drag’on Rally Team/Yamaha): 1h43m10s (+ 10m17s)
35th Mário Patrão (Crédito Agrícola mariopatrao.com/Honda): 1h47m58s (+ 15m05s – 02m00s penalty)
98th Alexandre Azinhais (Club Aventura Touareg/KTM): 2h24m02s (+ 51m09s)
Portuguese overall:
15th Rui Gonçalves (Sherco Rally Factory): 20h02m03s (+ 57m00s)
24th António Maio (Drag’on Rally Team/Yamaha): 21h02m26s (+ 1h57m23s – 13m20s penalty)
36th Bruno Santos (XRaids Experience/Husqvarna): 23h01m22s (+ 3h56m19s – 19m00s penalty)
37th Mário Patrão (Crédito Agrícola mariopatrao.com/Honda): 23h02m23s (+ 3h57m20s – 17m00s penalty)
77th Alexandre Azinhais (Club Aventura Touareg/KTM): 27h38m16s (+ 8h33m13s)
