Former MotoGP Racer Danilo Petrucci Wins Dakar Stage Five in His First Ever Rally Race

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Danilo Petrucci
ML512
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ML512
Edited Date/Time 1/7/2022 11:00am


Now this is pretty cool. I was a bit skeptical when I heard the just retiring MotoGP racer Danilo Petrucci would be competing in the 2022 Dakar Rally. I thought it was cool that KTM was supporting Danilo as he wanted to transfer from asphalt to dirt, but naturally was curious if he had the skills in the dirt and with navigation to actually be competitive. Welp, he shut me up as not only has he been competitive, he just won stage five. This is the mans first ever rally competition after a life on asphalt.


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Boomslang
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Boomslang 1/6/2022 7:48am
1/6/2022 7:48am
That's awesome. Petrucci is such a good dude and after not finding a seat in MotoGp this result must be a good feeling. Hoping he gets a good overall result.
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quadzrulebro 1/6/2022 7:54am
1/6/2022 7:54am Edited Date/Time 1/6/2022 7:55am
Talent is talent.

Is Andrew Short racing? How’s he doing?
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mac3-d
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mac3-d 1/6/2022 7:58am
1/6/2022 7:58am
quadzrulebro wrote:
Talent is talent.

Is Andrew Short racing? How’s he doing?
12 overall no stage wins or podiums yet. 3rd Yamaha in race thankfully there’re all still in the race
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mac3-d 1/6/2022 8:02am
1/6/2022 8:02am
Ricky Brabec 17th & Mason Klein 13th in his first Dakar impressive ( any info on this youngster) ?

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skeef 1/6/2022 9:28am
1/6/2022 9:28am
I've said it before and I'll say it again. gp requires more talent than anything on dirt.
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Last Braaap 1/6/2022 9:31am
1/6/2022 9:31am
Boomslang wrote:
That's awesome. Petrucci is such a good dude and after not finding a seat in MotoGp this result must be a good feeling. Hoping he gets...
That's awesome. Petrucci is such a good dude and after not finding a seat in MotoGp this result must be a good feeling. Hoping he gets a good overall result.
He can't, he totalled the bike in second stage. He is continuing outside the overall ranking.
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TheGetFresh
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TheGetFresh 1/6/2022 12:12pm
1/6/2022 12:12pm
I think European racers don’t pigeonhole motorcycles the way Americans do. In the US you have sport bike riders, tourers, harley guys, MX, off-road and other disciplines. The Venn diagram of these groups have very little overlap. Meanwhile the euros see two wheels and a motor and they’re all in.
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shanhard
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shanhard 1/7/2022 1:13am
1/7/2022 1:13am
mac3-d wrote:
Ricky Brabec 17th & Mason Klein 13th in his first Dakar impressive ( any info on this youngster) ?
Interview with Mason Klein:
Rad76
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Rad76 1/7/2022 2:13am
1/7/2022 2:13am
TheGetFresh wrote:
I think European racers don’t pigeonhole motorcycles the way Americans do. In the US you have sport bike riders, tourers, harley guys, MX, off-road and other...
I think European racers don’t pigeonhole motorcycles the way Americans do. In the US you have sport bike riders, tourers, harley guys, MX, off-road and other disciplines. The Venn diagram of these groups have very little overlap. Meanwhile the euros see two wheels and a motor and they’re all in.
Wrong. It's exactly the same in Europe. On the Petrux side, lots of people on the rally are scared to death for him. Like a typical rookie, he's riding way above his head, which is a scary thing in Dakar. Let's hope for the best for him, but even his team would prefer him to learn at a slower pace.
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Rad76 1/7/2022 2:16am
1/7/2022 2:16am
skeef wrote:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. gp requires more talent than anything on dirt.
I strongly disagree. I even had the chance to speak with JMB about that and he's on my side. And he knows a bit about both.
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luke11
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luke11 1/7/2022 3:13am
1/7/2022 3:13am
Petrucci deserves all the success he gets. A truly lovely guy!
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SethGator 1/7/2022 4:38am
1/7/2022 4:38am
Petrux is headed stateside for 2022 to race in MotoAmerica, aboard a Warhorse/HSBK Ducati.
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quadzrulebro 1/7/2022 5:11am
1/7/2022 5:11am Edited Date/Time 1/7/2022 5:12am
skeef wrote:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. gp requires more talent than anything on dirt.
Rad76 wrote:
I strongly disagree. I even had the chance to speak with JMB about that and he's on my side. And he knows a bit about both.
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport held his attention. He walked away from huge pay checks in motocross to pursue his passion on pavement. In 9 seasons of Grand Prix road racing, the arguably most talented rider in the history of motocross never even stood on a podium once.
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SethGator 1/7/2022 5:55am
1/7/2022 5:55am
quadzrulebro wrote:
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport...
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport held his attention. He walked away from huge pay checks in motocross to pursue his passion on pavement. In 9 seasons of Grand Prix road racing, the arguably most talented rider in the history of motocross never even stood on a podium once.
To even reach that level and be competitive is the story in itself. Imagine if JMB had rode pavement his entire life. Rossi’s name might not have the same clout.
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TriRacer27 1/7/2022 6:56am
1/7/2022 6:56am
The most amazing thing about this isn't necessarily the speed, but that he nailed the navigation and had no penalties.

In an interview for RedBull, he explained that he really only had about a week of desert riding to get used to the bike and the navigation because he broke his foot before the race. Anyone can just throw caution to the wind and hold it wide open, but to also learn the navigation part so quickly is astonishing.

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kage173 1/7/2022 6:58am
1/7/2022 6:58am
skeef wrote:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. gp requires more talent than anything on dirt.
Rad76 wrote:
I strongly disagree. I even had the chance to speak with JMB about that and he's on my side. And he knows a bit about both.
quadzrulebro wrote:
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport...
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport held his attention. He walked away from huge pay checks in motocross to pursue his passion on pavement. In 9 seasons of Grand Prix road racing, the arguably most talented rider in the history of motocross never even stood on a podium once.
Well I think it would be fair to acknowledge that by that time he was catching up with guys who spent their formative years dedicated to that discipline while he was building his mx/sx career. I can think of 2 guys, JMB and Steve Wise that crossed over to road race professionally for factory level teams. I can't think of anyone who has done it the other way around. There might be one I don't know about.

Now, I will say that I see a lot of road racers that ride motocross and they are fast! But I rarely, if ever, see mx guys out on a road course. I can't figure that out. Maybe road racing does require more talent. I've never done it so wouldn't know.
313 SlowDown 1/7/2022 7:17am
1/7/2022 7:17am
TheGetFresh wrote:
I think European racers don’t pigeonhole motorcycles the way Americans do. In the US you have sport bike riders, tourers, harley guys, MX, off-road and other...
I think European racers don’t pigeonhole motorcycles the way Americans do. In the US you have sport bike riders, tourers, harley guys, MX, off-road and other disciplines. The Venn diagram of these groups have very little overlap. Meanwhile the euros see two wheels and a motor and they’re all in.
Rad76 wrote:
Wrong. It's exactly the same in Europe. On the Petrux side, lots of people on the rally are scared to death for him. Like a typical...
Wrong. It's exactly the same in Europe. On the Petrux side, lots of people on the rally are scared to death for him. Like a typical rookie, he's riding way above his head, which is a scary thing in Dakar. Let's hope for the best for him, but even his team would prefer him to learn at a slower pace.
Just the way he usually rides in his motocross training, scaring fast and full gas everywhere as seen while he was flying around me on the track months ago
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robkinuk 1/7/2022 8:08am
1/7/2022 8:08am
quadzrulebro wrote:
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport...
That doesn’t make much sense. He was easily the greatest motocross/supercross racer in the world for the short period of time that our rinky dink sport held his attention. He walked away from huge pay checks in motocross to pursue his passion on pavement. In 9 seasons of Grand Prix road racing, the arguably most talented rider in the history of motocross never even stood on a podium once.
JMB did put his bike on pole position at one Moto GP. I think at that level of the sport it is more about budgets, tyre spend etc. A very elite club that JMB managed to break into, until he had a career ending crash.
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TeamGreen 1/7/2022 10:40am
1/7/2022 10:40am
A lot of us may not know what a HUGE deal a “Stage Win”’is at the Dakar. ESPECIALLY this Dakar where Navigating and Surviving the day are very challenging.

This is HUGE for a “rookie”.
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LungButter 1/7/2022 11:00am
1/7/2022 11:00am
TriRacer27 wrote:
The most amazing thing about this isn't necessarily the speed, but that he nailed the navigation and had no penalties. In an interview for RedBull, he...
The most amazing thing about this isn't necessarily the speed, but that he nailed the navigation and had no penalties.

In an interview for RedBull, he explained that he really only had about a week of desert riding to get used to the bike and the navigation because he broke his foot before the race. Anyone can just throw caution to the wind and hold it wide open, but to also learn the navigation part so quickly is astonishing.
By his own admission he isn't very good at navigating. He has been doing a lot better on stages that he has tracks to follow as was the case with this stage that he won.

I do not mean to diminish this accomplishment, it's simply amazing and I'm very happy for him....but he's still got a ways to go before he's a master at the navigation like the others.
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