Dakar 2016 Stage 4: San Salvador de Jujuy - San Salvador de Jujuy

The Dakar 2016 will today contest its fourth stage of the edition, which will take place in the San Salvador de Jujuy area. Specifically, it is a day with 630 kilometres of route and 430 of them of special stage; this fourth stage will not exactly be a walk in the park.

In fact, one could say that this loop around San Salvador de Jujuy already looks like a first real test by fire. The day’s programme includes incessant changes of pace, an alternation of sandy and stony terrain and, as the icing on the cake, an average altitude during the special stage of 3,500 metres. And as if that weren’t enough, it is the first part of a marathon stage in which the vehicles will be placed in closed parcs as soon as they reach the bivouac.

For the moment no route changes have been confirmed, but after what we have seen in these last stages we do not know what decision the organisation will take regarding the departure of the participants. For several reasons, the competitors are facing their first major test here. In the special stage they travel at an average height of 3,500 metres, with incessant changes of pace. This copious menu is served when almost everyone has already covered nearly 2,500 km, with a volume of seat hours that is exhausting for the pilots lower down the classification.

In this stage we will have three checkpoints (CP), and Barreda will set off with great desire after winning stage 3, only to see the organisation sanction him for speeding, causing him to lose the stage and also his leading position in the general classification. Benavides thus becomes the winner and Svitko the leader.

Right now ours are placed 3rd Barreda, Pedrero 10th, Farrés 11th, Cervantes 15th, Arana 18th, Sanz 21st, Viladoms 26th, Monleón 36th, Gimeno 40th, Sola 47th, Julián García 70th, Romero 90th, Oliveras 92nd, José García 95th, Martí 97th, D. Fernández 113th, Carlos Fernández 129th.

Now on to the fourth stage.

Source | Dakar official