The great challenge in the desert continues, with Sandra Gomez standing out as the fastest of the six Fantic XEF 450 Rally riders in the ninth stage of this gruelling Dakar. Despite a heavy fall, Jeremy Miroir managed to hold on to 27th place in the overall standings.
With every stage, the Dakar caravan moves closer to Shubaytah, the gateway to the vast Empty Quarter. Starting tomorrow, competitors will face three days of dunes, but today’s stage still offered fast tracks with hidden rocks among the sand, making the special particularly treacherous.
All six Fantic XEF 450 Rally bikes have made it to Haradh, and the support between riders was crucial, because this is the Dakar: you always stop to help those in need, especially if they are your teammate.
Today, it was Jeremy Miroir’s turn, who fell at km 160 on a rocky section. The Fantic Factory Rally rider sustained a contusion to his arm. Tommaso Montanari was the first of the Fantic riders to reach Jeremy and, once he felt better, escorted him for about 80 km. The Frenchman showed great resilience and completed the gruelling 357 km special and 232 km transfer stage in 71st place, a position that still keeps him 27th in the general standings.
Once back at the bivouac, Miroir underwent a second medical check (the first was on the stage) and was declared fit, meaning his Dakar adventure can continue. Matilde Tomagnini, Fantic Rally Raid Project Manager, knows her riders’ determination well: “Jeremy is battered, but fortunately, the second check confirmed that it’s 'just' contusions. We will see how he feels tomorrow morning when he gets back on the bike. He will definitely be in pain, but knowing him, he won’t quit.”
Tommaso Montanari, 45th, P36 in the general ranking: “On paper, it seemed easy, but it was a very dangerous stage, with fast tracks and lots of rocks. I was quite worried for Jeremy. After his incident, we continued together for about 80 km. Once he felt better, I carried on.”
Today, the fastest Fantic rider was Sandra Gomez, 43rd on the stage, P42 overall: “I saw many riders fall and also some cars stranded on the route, so today it was even more important to ride smart.”
Meanwhile, the progress of the Fantic-supported “satellite riders” continues, with Tomas De Gavardo in 47th, Rafic Eid in 58th, and Max Pouponnot in 65th.
