Pablo Quintanilla: "This was my most stressful Dakar yet"

Dakar 2022 | Stage 12 | YANBU > YANBU
January 14 ^th 2022 - 10:17 [GMT + 3]

It was a near-miss for the Chilean, who finished second overall as the highest ranked of Honda's four musketeers. A year ago, he joined the team from Husqvarna as a replacement for Benavides, who had jumped ship to KTM. The move has been a success for Quintanilla.

"I'm over the moon with this result. It was a really, really tough race. I did my best. This is a good result for me as part of a different team. We fought hard from day one. It was physically and mentally exhausting. But I'm really pleased with my performance in the race. I want to thank my team for their incredible work over two weeks. It was hard for everyone, with plenty of stress trying to implement a strategy. In the end, I'm thrilled. I also want to thank all my supporters, especially the Chileans who write to me all the time. I think this was my most stressful Dakar yet. The second week was all about strategy, and it's difficult to implement the right one. But that's racing for you, what really matters is giving it your all. You win some, you lose some."