It was not easy for Tomás de Gavardo to roll through the stone and rock routes, through Stage 2 of the Dakar 2023, where he also faced a serious accident and a fall that left traces on his body
The most complex layout experienced Thomas of Gavardo (Bas World KTM Racing Team) in the 431 kilometers of special stages of Stage 2 of the Dakar, crossing the finish line in the 52nd place in the Rally 2 category for private drivers. It was not easy for the Huelquino to roll along the stone and rock routes where, in addition faced a serious accident Already a fall that left traces on his body.
Only at kilometer 55, when the test began, De Gavardo had to assist a competitor in the Quad category that he had anticipated it minutes before. Coming out of a curve, he saw it overturned where the vehicle crushed the pilot. Tomás stopped to help him until he took him out of the position, accommodated him and stayed with the unknown pilot until the assistance helicopter arrived doctor to rescue him.
“I don’t know how many minutes I was with him accompanying him. It could have been 15 minutes, until medical help arrived. It was only then that I was able to resume the race. It was really shocking to see it under the Quad and take it out. The important thing is that he was conscious, ”the Chilean athlete commented upon his arrival at the Alula camp, while his brother Matteo took him to the field hospital to have his arm wounds treated from a fall.
An action that reminded his father, Charles de Gavardo, who died in 2015 at the age of 45 from a cardiorespiratory arrest. In 1996 she received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Fair Play Award for rejecting his options in the Dakar to help the Mongolian pilot Shagdarsuren Erdenebileg, who had suffered a serious accident as a result of which he became a hemiplegic.
In the competitive, the series won it South African Michael Docherty with 5 hours 29 minutes 44 seconds, followed by the Argentine Diego Llanos at 03’33” and the Italian Paolo Lucci at 09’01”. With this result, Docherty himself leads the general with 10 hours 11 minutes 01 seconds.
Tomás was 52nd in the stage, arriving 1 hour 52 minutes 55 seconds behind the winner of Rally 2. In the general classification it is located 36°, 2:30’16 behind the leader of the category. Chileans Patricio Cabrera (31st) was at 2:16’52 and John Medina (65°)who runs in Original, is 3:36’07” behind the leader.
“It was a tough stage. At the beginning I felt quite comfortable until I saw the driver with an accident, who mentally marked him just like one. Later I fell, hitting my left arm and also the airbag opened, which kept me quite uncomfortable for much of the race, because it squeezed my chest. Anyway, so far I’m doing well”, said the 23-year-old pilot.
Stage 3 of this Tuesday the 3rd includes 447 kilometers of specials, plus 222 liaison, which add up to a total of 669 km. In this section, the pilots will immediately leave the Alula camp to go to Ha’il through a path that is dazzling in its landscapes, but as complex as the one disputed this Monday.