The vast and remote pastoral station of Bidgemia in the Western Australian Gascoyne region hosted today’s leg of the Australasian Safari and although the country hospitality was warm and friendly, the course was just the opposite.

After two stages totaling 448km, the moto lead has been held by Jake Smith, with Warren Strange still in pursuit. Brother Vern Strange is out of podium contention after a mechanical issue forced him out of the second stage.

This brings Ivan Erceg to third with South African rider Brett Cummings, also on Honda, taking the Dakar Challenge lead.

The Dakar Challenge dream is over for Dutch rider Alex van Heertum. He came off his bike and was met within minutes by the medical team, flown to the Safari bivouac, and driven by the medics to Carnarvon Hospital and is in a stable condition.

American rider Michael Johnson, also a Dakar Challenge contender, broke his arm after coming off his bike and has been flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Perth for treatment. The Dakar Challenge will now be fought between Brett Cummings, Melchior van Heertum and Guy Henley, Russell Scoble, Todd Smith and Vern Strange.

Jake Smith said had a good day and won the first stage and retained a 28-minute lead.

”I took it easy and didn’t have to push. My only drama was the battery died in the automatic scroll so I had to scroll it by hand for the last 250km. It was a fun stage, technical, and had everything – washaways, creeks…I enjoyed it.”

Rod Faggotter, who won today’s second stage, said he was riding for fun.

“I really enjoyed it. I liked the stages, there was a bit of everything. The tracks were open and flowing, it was tricky to navigate so I had to be on my game. The bike is going great. I came across a lot of cattle and had to ride around and through herds – it was just like mustering back home!”

Cummings was very happy with first position in the Dakar Challenge.

“I had a good first stage and in the second I got lost for 10 minutes and four bikes passed me but I eventually caught three of them,” he said.

Ryan Inghram who sits in sixth said it was a long day, hard and rocky.

“It got better as the day went on. You know yesterday how Don said I had to ride the bike like I stole it? Well now it’s looking like it’s been stolen!”

Many riders enjoyed today’s long stages. Experienced Safari and Dakar campaigner David Schwarz said he had a great day, he was happy with his bike and hadn’t missed a beat.

Guy Henley said they were good racing stages. “They really flowed with some rough areas between – but they were noted in the navigation scrolls. It was technical and tough.”

Melchoir van Heertum said the first stage was the best ever.

“There was nice scenery, it was good to navigate, the tracks were nice and it was also technical – quite difficult to ride – I like this style of riding.”

Tomorrow the Australasian Safari competition moves to Jimba Jimba Station, Winderie Station, Wooramel River, Hamelin on the coast between Carnarvon and Kalbarri and then south to the Murchison river finishing in Kalbarri.

The 431km of competitive stages includes red dunes, fences, saltbush flats, river crossings and typical rough outback station roads.