Photo: dakar.com
Tough and putting every last bit of strength to the test, the Dakar Rally is a place where surprises do occur. And the latest surprise comes from Austrian rookie Matthias Walkner, who claimed his first-ever Dakar stage victory in the third leg of the 2015 rally.
After finishing Stage 2 in a very good 6th position, Walkner made no mistakes and rode fast, admitting that not having to open the way helped him a lot, as the trails left by the first riders allowed him to navigate better. As far as being a road-opener is concerned, we’ll have to see how good his navigation skills are in Stage 4…
In an outburst of energy, KTM bounced back with one more bike, as Marc Coma finished the stage 40 seconds behind Walkner, and thus managed to claw back one minute from Joan Barreda Bort, who was third yesterday. Rookie Toby Price was consistent with yesterday’s riding manner and the finish line saw the Aussie crossing with the 4th best time, ahead of Paulo Goncalves.
Barreda Bort still leads the general ranking, with a 5 and a half advantage over his Honda team mate Goncalves. Three rounds into the 2015 Dakar, Walkner sits in a surprising 3rd position, with a minor 20-second lead over Marc Coma and Ruben Faria completing the top 5. The best Yamaha belongs to Pedrero Garcia and is 10th, followed by Alain Duclos’ Sherco TVS.
Today’s stage (Chilecito - Copiapo) has a 315 km (195 miles) special and while the liaison sections will have the riders crossing the Andes again, the final special segment will put their navigation skills to the test in the giant sand dunes of the Copiapo region.
In an outburst of energy, KTM bounced back with one more bike, as Marc Coma finished the stage 40 seconds behind Walkner, and thus managed to claw back one minute from Joan Barreda Bort, who was third yesterday. Rookie Toby Price was consistent with yesterday’s riding manner and the finish line saw the Aussie crossing with the 4th best time, ahead of Paulo Goncalves.
The first six riders in a two-minute window at the last check point
At the last checkpoint, the first six riders were grouped really tight, as they were all in a two-minute window. Compared to the grueling special in Stage 2, Stage 3 was shorter and easier, but choosing the right strategy seemed the key element. Nobody tried to tempt fate, as there was more to lose than to gain. Laia Sanz is again the best-placed female, finishing Stage 3 in the 17th position and being 16th overall.Barreda Bort still leads the general ranking, with a 5 and a half advantage over his Honda team mate Goncalves. Three rounds into the 2015 Dakar, Walkner sits in a surprising 3rd position, with a minor 20-second lead over Marc Coma and Ruben Faria completing the top 5. The best Yamaha belongs to Pedrero Garcia and is 10th, followed by Alain Duclos’ Sherco TVS.
Today’s stage (Chilecito - Copiapo) has a 315 km (195 miles) special and while the liaison sections will have the riders crossing the Andes again, the final special segment will put their navigation skills to the test in the giant sand dunes of the Copiapo region.
Google News