HRC Back Into the Lead in Dakar?
Jean Turner | January 5, 2016
Following provisional results, it appeared Honda HRC riders were back in the driver seat in the 2016 Dakar Rally, claiming the top-three spots in Stage 3 and reclaiming the overall lead. But it appears the ASO may have dealt out some penalties including a one-minute penalty to HRC’s top gun Joan Barreda. As posted in the general rankings on the official Dakar Rally website, KTM’s Stefan Svitko is now in the overall lead in the bike category followed by Honda rider Kevin Benavides with Barreda sitting third.
Other penalty recipients appear to include Oliver Pain (originally listed as 13th and now 20th), Sherco’s Juan Pedrero (originally 11th and now 24th with a two-minute penalty) and factory Yamaha’s Alessandro Botturi who received a three-minute penalty (sliding from 14th to 31st).
These penalties, if upheld, effectively shuffle the deck inside the top-20. We are currently seeking confirmation on the general overall rankings in the Dakar Rally bike category.
Stage 3 Results:
Current Overall Standings after Stage 3: