The 2016 Dakar Rally is off to a poor start, as the first stage of the event had to be canceled today, on account of the weather. While yesterday’s prologue in Rosario was under 104°F sun, lightning storms prevailed in South America today, along with heavy rain.
The intensity of the rainfall saw the river crossings swell in size, while the heavy wind and rain meant that the safety helicopters couldn’t safely operate. As such, the ASO had no choice but to scrub today’s stage, citing safety concerns for the competitors.
Loyal Asphalt & Rubber readers will remember that this edition of the Dakar Rally has already had issues with weather, after the Peruvian government had to withdraw from hosting the race, after flooding ravaged residents close to the race course, earlier this year.
Chilé too has had issues with rainfall, having suffered mudslides ahead of the planning phase of this Dakar, and as a result had to withdraw from hosting the race. Both countries cite this year’s El Niño as a major concern for their governments.
For now, the official leaderboard remains the same from Saturday’s prologue, though the rank and order of the riders is virtually meaningless.
Tomorrow’s stage sees the competitors traveling from Villa Carlos Paz to Termas de Río Hondo. As such, Stage 2 is 786km long, with a 450km timed section. This means that teams will have a very long day, though the course is not expected to be especially challenging.
Provisional Standings after Stage 1 of the 2016 Dakar Rally:
| Pos. | Rider | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
| 1 | BARREDA, Joan | SPA | Team HRC | Honda | 06’27 |
| 2 | FARIA, Ruben | POR | Husqvarna Factory Rally Team | Husqvarna | +00’00 |
| 3 | RODRIGUES, Helder | POR | Yamaha Motor Europe | Yamaha | +00’03 |
| 4 | VAN BEVEREN, Adrien | FRA | Yamaha Motor Europe | Yamaha | +00’04 |
| 5 | METGE, Michael | FRA | Team HRC | Honda | +00’08 |
| 6 | BENAVIDES, Kevin | ARG | Honda South America Rally Team | Honda | +00’08 |
| 7 | FARRES, Gerard | SPA | Himoinsa Team | KTM | +00’09 |
| 8 | QUINTANILLA, Pablo | CHI | Husqvarna Factory Rally Team | Husqvarna | +00’10 |
| 9 | SVITKO, Stefan | SLO | Slovnaft Team | KTM | +00’11 |
| 10 | VILADOMS, Jordi | SPA | Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team | KTM | +00’13 |
| 11 | PIZZOLITO, Javier | ARG | Honda South America Rally Team | Honda | +00’16 |
| 12 | AZEVEDO, Jean | BRA | Honda South America Rally Team | Honda | +00’18 |
| 13 | BRABEC, Ricky | USA | Team HRC | Honda | +00’22 |
| 14 | CECI, Paolo | ITA | Team HRC | Honda | +00’31 |
| 15 | METGE, Adrien | FRA | Honda South America Rally Team | Honda | +00’35 |
| 16 | GONCALVES, Paulo | POR | Team HRC | Honda | +01’00 |
Source: Dakar; Photo: HRC
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