Rafał Sonik: I had to yell at myself to keep going

The excruciating first stage of the Desafio Ruta 40 turned out to be barely the prelude to what the participants would face on Tuesday. Over 300-kilometer long, the second special stage drained each of the racers to the point of almost collapsing at the finish line. The leading bike riders complained that they were going to need brand new bodies to survive another day of the rally. Even though Rafał Sonik’s experience was very much alike, he was still able to pass the ordeal and move up in the general ranking despite his post-injury condition.

The organizers only briefly described the second stage of the rally, claiming it would be similar to the first one. “When our roadbooks show the abbreviation VG, it means we have nightmares in store. It stands for “vegetation”. What seems beautiful and picturesque from a crow’s fly is an ultimate hell on the ground,” pointed out Sonik who, after Daniel Mazzucco, is the second most experienced cross-country rider in the pool.

“Enough to say, we were able to drive the last 100 kilometers of the second part of the SS only in the first or second gear. We couldn’t catch a breath for even a few meters. It was the time of total mobilization, tension, and focus. Having glanced at the roadbook, I realized that reaching a more welcoming section of the road wouldn’t happen for 70 more kilometers. This was the moment when I had to yell at myself to make it. I was trying to motivate myself in every way possible. Only after reaching the bivouac site, the adrenaline rush subsided and I realized that I couldn’t move at all. Simple things like climbing the stairs were beyond my might.

All bike and quad riders finished the stage in a similar shape. Many of them did not spare harsh comments about the excruciating stage. The fastest among the four-wheel riders was Nicolas Cavigliasso, followed by Argentinians Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli and Pablo Copetti. Rafał Sonik managed to overtake Aleksander Maksimow and move to the fourth position in the general classification of the Desafio Ruta 40.

„I wish I could forget today’s stage as soon as possible. On the other hand, I hope I will complete the next SS in high spirits. I’ve felt so alive today! This is also thanks to my invaluable chiropractor, Stanisław Czopek, who has been my raid companion for many years now and consistently gets me back on my feet”, concluded SuperSonik.

Stage II results
1. Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG) 5:34.55
2. Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli (ARG) +11.57
3. Pablo Copetti (ARG) +13.42
4. Gaston Gonzalez (ARG) +14.24
5. Rafał Sonik (POL) +16.17
6. Aleksander Maksimow (RUS) +21.24

FIM General Ranking:
1. Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG) 10:44.52
2. Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli (ARG) +26.14
3. Gaston Gonzalez (ARG) +40.33
4. Rafał Sonik (POL) +59.40
5. Aleksander Maksimow (RUS) +1:02.31
6. Pablo Copetti (ARG) +1:28.59

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