Stéphane Peterhansel: “It was a strategy, but I don’t think it was a really good one”

Dakar 2024 | Stage 1 | BISHA > BISHA
January 5 ^th 2024 - 14:17 [GMT + 3]

Mister Dakar got slightly lost and was left wondering what strategy to adopt: continue pushing or take it easier and finish outside the top 10 to start tomorrow observing from a short way behind? In the end, it was a bit of both. With 7th place on the day 45’’ behind the winning time, this evening “Peter” will be among the last to choose his starting position tomorrow and risks ending up in the group opening the way, most likely in 3rd position.

“It was a nice prologue. The place is really beautiful. I started with a full attack like I can, but then I made a small navigation mistake. I missed one junction and I drove 400 metres too far. After that I wondered if it was necessary to continue to push and reduce speed at the end of the stage, to have a bad time and not start at the front tomorrow morning. So, it was a strategy, but I don’t think it was a really good one”.