The final two stages of the 2023 Dakar Rally were stages 13 and 14, and each brought their own challenges on the riders contesting them. After his stage 12 win, Nacho Cornejo was first to start stage 13—but as we’ve seen, opening a stage can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.
When you’re the first rider on the course, there are no tracks from previous riders to follow—so navigation is entirely up to you. Luckily, Cornejo is a seasoned and talented navigator However, it’s still more difficult to lead than to follow, which is at least partially why there are time bonuses for the leaders on each stage in 2023.
