HRC’s Joan Barreda continues to lead the overall running at the Dakar Rally after Stage 3. Photography courtesy of HRC.
Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner enjoyed his first stage win on Day 3 at the 2015 Dakar Rally. The young Austrian bested his KTM teammate Marc Coma by 40 seconds, while yesterday’s stage winner Joan Barreda finished third aboard his HRC Honda to retain his lead in the overall ranking. Coma’s strong finish helped him begin to chip away at his 10-minute deficit suffered yesterday due to his tire complication, but the HRC riders still remain in control of the rally, with Barreda’s teammate Paolo Goncalves still sitting in a strong second place after carding fifth on Day 3.
“Today was easier than yesterday, but it was really dangerous because we were on river beds and [there were] a lot of stones all day,” Barreda said. “That was sometimes dangerous and you always need to take care. I am really happy; it’s one more day done.”
Stage 3 took riders further west across Argentina from San Juan to Chilecito. Racers completed 271 miles (437km) of transfer sections along with a 137-mile (220km) special test that took the top riders about 2.5 hours to complete. The course was shorter and less intense than yesterday’s but still included some technical sections, and led riders through canyons and riverbeds and up to a peak of over 11,000 feet (3500m) on a particularly scenic section of the race.
“I’ve won it for the moment,” Walkner said. “But Marc is coming, Sam is coming, some fast guys are coming so we will see. It is my first rally and I am just doing my best, finding my rhythm and taking it every kilometer by kilometer.”
Walkner, who is a three-time World Motocross Champion, admits he has the skill on the bike, but is still fairly green when it comes to rally racing. He currently sits third in the overall standings after three days of racing. Photography by RallyZone Bauer/Barni.
“The important thing in rallying is to navigate well or open the tracks and also be fast,” said Walkner. “We will see. After this we can see what the future brings. I know about how you have to ride the motorcycle, but the different part is the navigation and finding the good way to ride safely, not to make mistakes and go fast.”
Australian rider Toby Price is another Dakar rookie who took a good step forward today. The KTM rider advanced himself to sixth in the overall standings with a fourth-place finish on Day 3. Like Walkner, Price has the speed but is still working hard to sharpen his navigation skills.
“It is a little bit tricky,” Price said. “We’re still having a little bit of drama with the road-book, bits and pieces with the headings and stuff. I didn’t expect to be at this level straight away, but I know I can ride the bike well as long as the navigation is not so bad. I’m definitely enjoying my first Dakar and it’s looking good. I enjoy the high speed stuff, but when the navigation gets a bit tougher, I take my time just so I don’t do another 30km extra than I should be doing for the day. Tomorrow is going to be tough with navigation. We’re definitely a little bit worried about it, but I guess we’ll just take it as it comes and try our best.”
Australian KTM rider Toby Price is currently running sixth in overall standings after Day 3 at his first Dakar Rally. Photography by RallyZone Bauer/Barni.
Barreda is already looking forward to Stage 4 and has high hopes of retaining his overall lead, but the HRC riders definitely have a watchful eye on Coma who is on the move. Coma is now in fourth in the overall, nearly 11 minutes out of the lead, but Barreda knows from experience how quickly and easily it can all slip away.
“The advantage is really small; it’s nothing different,” said Barreda. “Now we go to Chile and there will be different stages and a different feeling so we will see there. We need to remain focused on our planning, so nothing is different. We’ll continue like this.”
Tomorrow on Stage 4, riders will leave the red earth of Argentina behind as they start their ascent into the Andes. Temperatures will drop sharply as they climb to a staggering height of 15,700 feet (4800 meters) as they cross into Chile. Riders will then face the dunes of the Atacama Desert as they head toward Copiapo, where navigational skill will be critical.
Dakar Motorcycle Results – Stage 3
1. Matthias Walkner (KTM)
2. Marc Coma (KTM)
3. Joan Barreda (Hon)
4. Toby Price (KTM)
5. Paolo Goncalves (Hon)
6. Alain Duclos (Shr)
7. Ruben Faria (KTM)
8. Jeremias Israel (Hon)
9. Jordi Viladoms (KTM)
10. Juan Pedrero Garcia (Yam)
Provisional Standings After Stage 3
1. Joan Barreda (9:43:05)
2. Paolo Goncalves (+05.33)
3. Matthias Walkner (+10:33)
4. Marc Coma (+10:50)
5. Ruben Faria (+12:10)
6. Toby Price (+12:24)
7. Jordi Viladoms (+14:07)
8. Jeremias Israel (+18:33)
9. Helder Rodrigues (+18:34)
10. Juan Pedrero (+23:40)
