Dakar Dakar
Baciuska promoted to Dakar Stage 2 win; storm forces route change
The Lithuanian driver had originally been classified sixth before being given 12 minutes back
Ewan Gale
Edited: Jan 7, 2025, 5:06 PM
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Rokas Baciuska has inherited the victory on the Dakar Rally's second stage after being given time back by the FIA.
The Lithuanian had originally been classified in sixth having run as high as fourth during the marathon 48-hour Chrono stage, which had been won by Overdrive Racing team-mate Yazeed Al-Rajhi despite a two-minute speed violation penalty being added to his time.
The Saudi driver had headed Nasser Al-Attiyah before the Qatari's four-minute speeding penalty dropped him behind general classification leader Henk Lategan to third, but the decision to give Baciuska some 12 minutes back after an issue during refuelling means he takes his first premier class stage win at the Dakar.
Explaining the decision, the stewards' report read: "The FIA Sporting Delegate explained that he was present at the scene and can confirm the crew was not able to carry out the refuelling procedure in time through no fault of the crew.
"In this case, there is no evidence that the crew members did not fulfil their obligations.
"Therefore, on the basis of the principle of fair competition, it would be unfair in this case not to compensate the crew for the time lost due to circumstances beyond the control of the crew."
Baciuska's promotion caps a dramatic two days of running that saw numerous rally protagonists hit trouble. Nani Roma and Cristina Gutierrez both saw their hopes end - the former retiring and the latter now taking on a support role for her Dacia Sandriders team-mates.
One of those team-mates, Sebastien Loeb, lost time after encountering issues with fans on his car, though remained in the top 10 for the stage.
Carlos Sainz conceded his hopes of a second consecutive victory and fifth overall are "gone" after losing over an hour and a half following a rollover crash on day one of the Chrono, a puncture and navigational issues. But there was some respite for the Spaniard, who was given back 3m46s.
#225 Ford M-Sport Ford: Carlos Sainz Sr.
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
The result amendment is the second stage running to see a stage winner declared after time has been given back. Seth Quintero had been promoted to first place in the opening stage after stopping to help a stranded Laia Sanz, who had crashed during the 413km test.
Quintero had finished 50s on original stage winner Guerlain Chicherit, only to be given 95s back by organisers.
The change in result has pushed Baciuska up to 20th in the overall standings, though the top spots remain unchanged, with Lategan remaining ahead of Al-Rajhi and Al-Attiyah heading to a modified stage three.
Organisers have been forced to amend the route due to localised storms, with a statement explaining: "The challenge of the 48 HR Chrono stage was met by the Dakar competitors despite its demanding nature and the efforts required of the riders, drivers and co-pilots made this sequence one of the highlights of the race over the last few years.
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"Currently, the region of Al Henakiyah is subject to severe storms which could continue for some while. As a result, the organisers have decided to adopt an alternative and lighter programme for tomorrow's stage.
"A more accessible stage route has been established to provide the competitors and machines with some respite, all the more so given that they will have to tackle the marathon stage on 8th and 9th January.
"The finish of the special will be situated after 327 km of the initial route (whose distance was 496 km), removing 169 kilometres of zones affected by the rainfall. The departure times from the bivouac remain unchanged."
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