Rui Gonçalves was the strongest of the Portuguese in the first stage of the Dakar 2024 this Saturday. The day was marked by the abandonment of Joaquim Rodrigues, following a fall in which he was injured.
The Hero MotoSports rider suffered the incident at kilometer 70 and could not continue, having to be transported by air to a hospital. Gonçalves (Sherco) has been the strongest of the Portuguese contingent since then, gradually recovering throughout the day: he passed in 43rd at the first intermediate point with timing information and finished 19th, 35m51s behind the winner, Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports). The rider from Trás-os-Montes is also 19th overall.
Further down, the Portuguese-German Sebastian Bühler (Hero MotoSports) achieved the 26th best time and is 22nd overall, while António Maio (Drag’on Rally Team/Yamaha) recorded the 32nd time after a recovery in the second half of the stage. The rider from Borba is 32nd overall. Veteran Mário Patrão finished with the 43rd best time.
Aboard an unsupported Honda in the Original by Motul category, he was fifth in his class, occupying the same positions in the overall standings.
Among the Portuguese contingent that has already finished at the time of writing this article, Bruno Santos (XRaids Experience/Husqvarna) achieved the 46th best time of the day, being 44th in the Dakar classification. Alexandre Azinhais (Club Aventura Touareg/KTM), who was 89th at KP390, has not yet finished, close to the area of the table he occupied since early on.
Portuguese in Stage 2:
19th Rui Gonçalves (Sherco Rally Factory) – 05h31m52s (+ 35m51s)
26th Sebastian Bühler (Hero MotoSports Team Rally) – 05h38m21s (+ 42m20s)
32nd António Maio (Drag’on Rally Team/Yamaha) – 05h47m37s (+ 51m36s)
43rd Mário Patrão (Crédito Agrícola mariopatrao.com/Honda) – 06h06m37s (+ 01h10m36s)
46th Bruno Santos (XRaids Experience/Husqvarna) – 06h12m39s (+ 01h16m38s)
Portuguese in the overall classification:
19th Rui Gonçalves (Sherco Rally Factory) – 05h51m35s (+ 37m40s)
22nd Sebastian Bühler (Hero MotoSports Team Rally) – 05h57m24s (+ 43m29s)
32nd António Maio (Drag’on Rally Team/Yamaha) – 06h09m41s (+ 55m46s)
43rd Mário Patrão (Crédito Agrícola mariopatrao.com/Honda) – 06h31m06s (+ 01h17m11s)
44th Bruno Santos (XRaids Experience/Husqvarna) – 06h36m12s (+ 01h22m17s)
