A start with a bang was how the Dakar got underway for Danilo Petrucci along with Bellina and Arnoletti, who ended today's action with the sixth quickest time, at the end of a first stage conditioned by a minor inconvenience.
The Italtrans team drivers had to deal with a broken windshield. Explaining what happened was Danilo Petrucci: "This is how we finished the stage. At km 90 Claudio was driving and a branch broke our windshield. At km 220 it was completely destroyed and we removed it. From there I drove to the end and we recovered six positions, traveling with the pace of the podium and finishing sixth."
There is no shortage of disappointment, but there is an immediate opportunity to make amends on Sunday in the 48-hour test, which will see the participants engaged in a 48-kilometer-long course.