Selected driver quotes after Dakar stage 11 14.01.2017: Dakar Rally 2017 Stage 11 San Juan - Río Cuarto 759 km Friday, January 13th 2017

Dakar Rally 2017
Stage 11 San Juan - Río Cuarto 759 km
Friday, January 13th 2017




Stéphane Peterhansel #300: “It was a good fight with Séb (Loeb) this morning and we lost three minutes as he went on full attack. Then Séb got a puncture so that was my chance to attack back. It’s nice to have this kind of fight until the end of the rally.



It’s really an honour for me to compete with Sébastien Loeb, especially on the WRC-style tracks we had on the second part of the special. We’re both fighting for the win but we’re team-mates so we can still joke about things after the racing is done.”




Sébastien Loeb #309: “We were able catch some time on Stéphane (Peterhansel) but a puncture stopped us from making as much progress as we would have liked. Then we caught up with Stéphane but with all the dust it was impossible to pass.



We thought we’re just one day from the end now so it’s not the time to try anything too risky. The gap seems too big to deal with on the short stage tomorrow but we’ll try our best.”




Cyril Despres #307: “Today we came closer to Buenos Aires on a rocky and narrow track that was easy to make mistakes on. There was a risk of punctures on this section. But it was enjoyable to ride.



The only bad part was coming into dust and trying to overtake was not easy because it was so narrow. Before the race we thought that third place would be a good result for us so we’ll do our best to hold this result on tomorrow’s stage.”




Sam Sunderland #14: “On the first part of the stage we had sand whoops and it was really physical. But I feel quite at home in the sand and even though I was riding quite reserved I managed to catch a few of the guys in front.



Then the second part was more high-speed across farmland. I knew Matthias (Walkner) was behind me and he’s in a fight for second overall so I didn't want to make dust for him. I cruised for a bit to let him past and then followed him in. Now there’s still one stage to go and I’m not going to let myself believe it until it’s done.”




Matthias Walkner #16: “I had a bit of pain in my knee today so over the bumpy sections I lost some time because I had to adjust my rhythm. Then the second section was faster on a twisty piste and I felt a lot better on this.


Tomorrow is short but you can lose time just like you can on a long stage. Sam (Sunderland) and myself have never finished a Dakar and we’re both aiming to fix that tomorrow.”





Hélder Rodrigues #5: “I’m not so happy with my results this year. I got lost on two early stages and when you lose the front of the race it’s nearly impossible to get back up there at the Dakar. It’s just been on these final days that I’ve really found some speed.



This Dakar has flown by fast and now we have just one day more. But the most important thing is to finish and I’ll enjoy that feeling tomorrow hopefully.”




Christina Gaither- photo Willy Weyens