Molly Taylor has another top 10 at the Dakar Rally despite getting stuck in traffic after starting well back in the road order on Stage 4.

The South Racing Can-Am driver was 156th on the start list after picking up three punctures on Stage 3, but managed the 10th-fastest time on the day.

She is back up two positions to 13th overall in the SSV class, 2:13:23s behind event-leading team-mate Rodrigo Luppi de Oliveira.

“We were car 156 on the road and, with all the rain, you can imagine what the road was like when we got there but we had a lot of fun,” said Taylor.

“We got stuck in one place and dropped a bit of time, just sort of in some traffic in a really narrow passage, and there was a truck in front of us and we couldn’t do much there.

“One of our team-mates ran out of fuel, so we towed them for a while as well, so had a few moments along the way.

“Other than that, a really clean stage. We did what we could it in the road that we had and found a really good rhythm, probably for the first time this Dakar, so that’s a real positive.”

Marek Goczal (Energylandia Can-Am) started the day as rally leader but dropped to fourth overall, almost half an hour from top spot, after a head-on in the dunes with Lightweight Prototype driver David Zille (South Racing Can-Am).

Other classes

Martin Macik (MM Technology) took another stage win despite “destroy[ing] both of the front springs” when he landed heavily off a jump just 30km into the special.

He is fourth overall, 39:37s behind event leader and fellow Czech Ales Loprais (Instaforex Loprais Praga), who moved back into top spot.

In Quads, Alexandre Giroud (Yamaha Racing – SMX – Drag’on) is 47:04s up after another stage win, Mitchell Guthrie (Red Bull Off-Road JR Team USA by BFG) is the pace-setter in Lightweight Prototype.

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