A Spanish motorcyclist from the Honda team on Sunday came first in the second stage of the 2018 Dakar Rally and proceeded to lead the race despite still recovering from an left-hand injury he suffered in mid 2016.

Joan Barreda's slow healing injury complicated his performance especially during the first part of the second stage, with a 267-kilometer stretch through the desert that surrounds the Peruvian city of Pisco.

However, he recovered in the second half and ultimately finished as first motorcyclist in the stage, almost three minutes before his main rival, French rider Adrien Van Beveren from the Yamaha team and six minutes ahead of the Dakar Rally 2017 champion, Briton Sam Sunderland.

The day was particularly difficult for the bikes, as they left after the cars, contrary to what usually happens during the Dakar, and found themselves with a terrain battered by the passing of the cars.

As for the car classification, French rally driver from Peugeot Cyril Despres finished first, taking the top three positions of the day, followed by Stephane Peterhansel in second place and Sebastien Loeb in third.

The 2018 Dakar Rally route continues to increase in difficulty as its third stage will feature a 504-kilometer stretch from Pisco, with the first 296 kilometers timed and another 208 kilometers to the town of San Juan de Marcona located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.