The Dakar stages 3, 4 and 5 have passed since we last shared the highlights and this is how South Africans have faired at the desert rally.
Saudi Arabia (11 January 2024) – It has been three days since we last updated you all on how the South Africans taking part in the Dakar have been doing. This 5th rally is proving to be a challenge, even for the world’s top rally competitors so while our riders may be keeping pace mid-level, anything can happen as the stages progress.
Stage 1 began in AlUla and will end with Stage 12 in Yanbu. Saturday, the 13th of January, is the only rest day where riders, drivers and crews can catch up on sleep and any major repairs. The route is around 5,000km.
We hope to share updates about the South African riders and drivers every few days for the duration of the Dakar. If you missed the first two stages, you can read more here.
There have been some fun twists in the past three stages, including a camping night after stage 4, where all competitors had to set up their own tents and couldn’t get repairs done.
South Africa’s Bradley Cox joked that he is more of a gamer than a hardcore camper having never put up a tent before. But all the competitors had fun with the marathon twist.
https://youtu.be/wl5yY6Q8h9I
You can also find video highlights on the Dakar YouTube page here.
Bradley Cox #18 – Bike
After ending stage 2 in 34th place, Bradley has spent the last three stages fighting his way back to the top. Stage 3 he had managed to race up to 22nd place but dropped back down to 26th place during stage 4. He made a substantial comeback during stage 5, ending the day in 17th place.
Overall, he is now 21st in the general rankings.
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Michael Docherty #22 – Bike
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Charan Moore #73 – Bike
Starting stage 3 in 25th place, Charan pushed himself but ended the day in 30th place. Stage 4 looked up with a 28th place finish and by stage 5, he finished in 32.
Charan is currently ranked 25th overall.
Stuart Gregory #100 – Bike
The Original by Motul “Malle Moto” rider has been holding firm, finishing stage 3 86th, stage 4 82nd and stage 5, 90th.
However, he is upping his overall ranking to 76th.
Kerim Fitz-Gerald #124 – Bike
Sadly, it has been reported that Kerim crashed out of his first Dakar during stage 1.
Ronald Venter #127 – Bike
For the first time, Ronald is competing well, finishing 63rd in stage 3, 86th in stage 4 and back up to 71st in stage 5.
He is currently ranked at 70th overall.
Giniel De Villiers (pilot) and Dennis Murphy (co-pilot) #209 – Car
After 22nd place for Stage 2, Giniel and Dennis navigated their way back to the top, finishing Stage 3 at 16th, stage 4 at 19th and all the way up to 7th place for Stage 5.
Overall, they are currently 11th in the Cars category.
Brian Baragwanath (pilot) and Leonard Cremer (co-pilot) #219 0 Car
Stage 3 turned out to be a tough ride for Brian and Leonard, ending the challenging day 157th, stage for didn’t get any easier as they finished 171st. The guys made a navigational comeback in stage 5, finishing the day 54th!
They are currently ranked overall at 159th.
Gareth Woolridge (pilot) and Boyd Dreyer (co-pilot) #225 – Car
Continuing the high of stage 2, Gareth and Boyd ended stage 3 in 30th but Stage 4 proved to be challenging for this duo too, leaving them 166th. Thankfully, they, too, pushed to improve and ended stage 5 in 88th place.
Overall, they are currently ranked 131st.
Saood Variawa (pilot) with French co-pilot Francois Cazalet #226 – Car
Starting stage 3 in 38th place, Saood and his co-pilot raced their way to a 21st place finish by the end of the day. They, too, faced stage 4 challenges, dropping to 106th place but then aiming for redemption at place 67th for stage 5.
Overall, the rookie is placed in 29th place.
David Guy Botterill (pilot) and Brett Cummings (co-pilot) #243 – Car
David and Brett have lost their footing during stage 3, finishing the day in 35th place but determined to be better, pushed during stage 4 for a 16th placing. The wheels came off, figuratively speaking, during stage 5, pushing them to a 45th place.
Overall, the duo are currently in 13th place.
Hennie De Klerk (pilot) and Juan Möhr (co-pilot) #258 – Car
Hennie and Juan spent stages 3 and 4 improving their ranking, placing 67th and 45th respectively. Stage 5 proved to be a challenge and they ended the day placing 130th.
Overall, they are currently ranked at 118th.
Katherine (pilot) and Stephen Lovemore (co-pilot) #742 – Classic
Katherine and Stephen were on the up, finishing stage 3 in 47th place and stage 4 in 48th place. Sadly, there have been no updates regarding stage 5. We will update as soon as we have more information.
Adriaan (pilot) and Riaan Botma (co-pilot) #753 – Classic
The father-son duo are seeing a positive rise in their efforts. Ending stage 3 at 49th, they took a slight knock during stage 4, finishing 52nd but then aimed for the better and ended stage 5 in 51st place.
They are currently ranked 50th.
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