The 10th stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally stretched from Chilecito to San Juan, a distance of 751km. With almost every top rider losing their way on the confusing 449km competitive stage, Michael Metge finished first, 55 seconds ahead of his Honda team mate Joan Barreda. However, a one-hour penalty for missing a way point stripped Metge of his position, handing the victory to Barreda. KTM rider Sven Svitko finished second and Franco Caimi riding a Honda finished third.
TVS Sherco Racing had a good run, with Adrien Metge finishing in seventh place, moving to 26th position overall. His team-mate Juan Pedrero Garcia finished 16th after a losing 30 minutes due to a navigational error. He currently holds the 16th place overall. CS Santosh finished the stage in 37th position, gaining 12 positions in the overall standings. He now stands in 50th overall. His Hero Speedbrain team-mate Joaquim finished 19th in the stage and holds 14th position overall.
Stage 10 wasn’t without its share of drama. The reigning champion in the four-wheeler category, Stephane Peterhansel, hit a motorcycle competitor during the stage. Thanks to timely medical assistance by Peterhansel and the mobile medical support, the rider is now on the path to recovery.
This being the longest competitive stage in this year’s edition, there were a few retirements too, with riders calling in for medical assistance out of sheer exhaustion. Pablo Quintanilla from Husqvarna was leading the race when he lost his way and eventually had to retire after suffering from a dizzy spell.
Stage 11 will take the riders from San Juan to Rio Cuarto. The 759km stage will have a competitive section of 288km, and will be a mixed bag of sand dunes and WRC tracks.
Stage 10 results
1. Joan Barreda
2. Sven Svitko +00:24
3. Franco Caimi +3:48
4. Pele Renet +4:21
5. Helder Rodrigues +5:46
Overall results:
1. Sam Sunderland
2. Matthias Walkner +30:01
3. Gerard Farres +38:43
4. Adrien Van Beveren +41:57
5. Joan Barreda +53:47
