D-2: the challengers enter the ring

January 5 ^th 2019 - 14:54

The stakes keep rising as the rally enters the second day of technical and administrative scrutineering, featuring a multitude of outsiders for the various titles up for grabs. Gerard de Rooy came to Las Palmas Air Base in the early morning, eager to begin his comeback after a year on the sidelines, along with his teammate Fernando Villagra. The expectations surrounding the Argentinian as a rival to the Kamaz hegemony are as high as the hype around his captain. The Honda riders are also looking to cause an upset. The Japanese maker is banking on 2018 runner-up Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda to end the KTM domination, as well as Paulo Gonçalves, whose participation was in doubt for a while after he fell a few weeks ago. Pundits will keep a close eye on Robby Gordon, who is racing in the Dakar for the first time since 2016 and is determined to take the fight to Mini and Toyota. The stars of the S×S category are also due to go through scrutineering today, including defending champion Reinaldo Varela and a host of newcomers with the talent to turn the race on its head, such as American Casey Currie, Spain's Gerard Farrés and Chile's "Chaleco" López.