The inspirational start of the 2018 Dakar took place today for the riders of the SHERCO TVS Factory Rally Team. This legendary rally takes place from January 6th to January 20th and will cross three countries: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Today's prologue took place between Lima and Pisco, Peru.
"The race has finally started! The last few days of waiting are always a time of tension for the whole team, explains Team Manager, David Casteu. The riders all started from the podium this morning and attacked 300 km of challenging terrain that went to the edge of the Pacific Ocean. It was time to carefully monitor the bikes, it's important during the first few kilometers. But everyone has arrived safely at the bivouac ".
Adrien Metge ranks 24th: "He left this afternoon with very average visibility, the sun being very high. He concentrated very hard on his racing as the dunes of Peru are dangerous, you have to pay careful attention to your navigation. "
Joan Pedrero ranks 25th: "He and Adrien passed the scene of an accident. A rider (Rodriguez) jumped a huge dune. It dampened their spirits and caused them to break their rhythm a little bit. But tomorrow they will enjoy having a nice track to attack. "
Aravind ranks 30th: "He had a very good stage, he surprises me. He is very relaxed and focused on his racing."
"The plan for today was to gauge and assess the competition. And the report is there: it is going to be a very fast race! We will have to be present. Tomorrow is a special with navigation, it's good to go far but the riders will have to maintain a good pace. Our bivouac is located in a very windy area, the rally conditions are here. We are in the heart of the race, there is on doubt, the Dakar has indeed started.”