Image: Supplied.

Monster Energy Honda’s Joan Barreda has continued to pull back time in the 2018 Dakar Rally after leading the way through a complicated marathon stage seven.

The second week of the 2018 Dakar kicked off with rain and from now on the special stages of the second week’s racing increase in mileage as well as in altitude, with the three stages set to cover the Transandine territory.

Riders got to tackle the part one of the first of two marathon stages scheduled for this edition of the Dakar. External mechanical assistance is prohibited, with only the riders themselves authorized to perform maintenance or any necessary repairs on the bikes.

Barreda eventually won stage seven despite falling and damaging his knee, 2m51s ahead of overall leader Adrien Van Beveren (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team) and over eight minutes in front of teammate Kevin Benavides. Overall it’s Van Beveren who leads from Benavides and Barreda – both within five minutes of victory.

Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM) was fourth in Saturday’s first marathon stage, 8m43s from Barreda, but climbing to fifth overall now. He is 13m34s from the lead on combined times. Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team) was 31st and is 23rd overall, while Scott Britnell (Grit Adventures KTM) was was 90th and sits 77th.

Stage eight will take riders from the bivouac at Uyuni and head for the rugged desert and red rock formations of Tupiza, a town in southern Bolivia. Although the total distance covered is a relatively short 585km, the majority of the day’s riding will be on the 498km timed special – the longest of the rally.

Detailed results