Britain’s Jamie McCanney spent much of his second-ever Dakar stage riding through other people’s dust but kept his head and finished in 34th place.

The works Yamaha rider concentrated hard on his roadbook and making sure he stayed on track throughout the day. Riding with others and increasing his pace during the second half of the stage, he sits in 32nd overall and as the second-best Dakar rookie.

“It’s been another good day of learning for me. Starting two riders every 30 seconds means I was in dust for so much of the stage,” said McCanney.

“I just took things steady and concentrated on my navigation, making sure I hit all of my markers and did everything correctly. During the second half of the stage I tagged on to some of the riders that came past me.

“I pushed on a little more, keeping an eye on navigation but being as focused as I was at the start. It was a good steady pace. The day wasn’t too physical. Despite the dust I enjoyed it and importantly gained more experience and learned more.”