Sanz reveals "rage" after being led astray by Dakar rival

The works KTM rider, who is tackling her sixth Dakar, lost ground during Thursday’s Jujuy-Tupiza stage as she went back on herself after seeking advice from one of her competitors.

She lost half an hour in the first waypoint alone as a result of the misdirection, and ended up just over an hour off the pace of stage winner Matthias Walkner at the finish.

"It's a mixture of rage and disappointment, because at one point I was on the right track, everything was perfect,” Sanz told Motorsport.com.

“We had to re-configure the trip before, but I must have done it wrong because it was a tough place off-piste and I thought I was supposed to be at the waypoint already.

“I stopped the rider who was behind me in order not to start messing up, and I asked him what kilometre we were on.

“He told me we were much further ahead than we actually were, and that he had gone through two waypoints. Then I rode back to find the waypoint, and in reality I only needed to ride 500m forward."

Sanz added that she was angry "with the rider, and with myself for having believed him, but you never imagine that someone in the Dakar is going to do something like that."

Having started Thursday’s stage in 21st overall, Sanz now sits 24th, 1hr26m down on overall leader Pablo Quintanilla.