Sebastien Loeb, Daniel Elena quotes after Dakar retirement 10.01.2018: DAKAR RALLY 2018 STAGE 5 | SAN JUAN DE MARCONA-AREQUIPA Wednesday, January 10th 2018

DAKAR RALLY 2018
STAGE 5 | SAN JUAN DE MARCONA-AREQUIPA
Wednesday, January 10th  2018




Sébastien Loeb (PEUGEOT 3008DKR Maxi n°306)
Retired on stage 5


“It was a very complicated start: the sand was very loose, the car just wouldn’t climb up the dunes, and we got stuck more or less straight away for 20 minutes or so. Then when we got going again, we were able to follow the tracks from everyone else, and that helped a lot.



We got to a place where there was another competitor stopped on a crest: in order not to have to stop while we were climbing I went right to avoid him...but there was a hole just over the crest that we hadn’t seen.



We hit it hard. There was nothing more we could do but wait for the truck to pull us out. Daniel was in a lot of pain from the impact. We even finished the stage really slowly, in order not to make the pain worse. Given Daniel’s injury, we were left with no option but to retire.”
 



Daniel Elena (PEUGEOT 3008DKR Maxi n°306)
Retired on stage 5


“We fell into a soft bowl of sand that we just didn’t see. It was a big impact. I immediately felt a sharp pain in my sternum and coccyx which didn’t go away. I was in so much pain that we had to finish the stage in slow motion.



Ihad to stretch myself out in my seat just to avoid the pain of sitting down. Usually, I do not give up, but I really don’t feel I can continue on terrain where there are so many compressions."
 




Aurélie Lehe - photos Willy Weyens