Toby Price moves to sixth overall in Dakar Rally

Dakar debutant Toby Price has finished fourth overnight, in the third stage of the Dakar Rally, held from San Juan to Chilecito, Argentina.

Price gained a position from the previous stage and the result moves the KTM rider to sixth place in the overall standings.

Price said, “The first part of the stage was fast and open and the navigation was easy,” though admits to having little experience in navigation despite speed to burn.

“If all the Dakar was like this I wouldn’t have any dramas but I’m still struggling a bit with the road book definitions.

“At this stage I definitely couldn’t lead a stage but hopefully by the end of next week we might be able to do that.

“Once we get into the desert its game on and a lot of hard work.

“My pace might drop off a bit but hopefully by the end of next week we can pick it up again.”

Another KTM-mounted Dakar rookie, Austrian Matthias Walker led home four-time champion Marc Coma and Juan Barreda Bort in the 220 km special stage, which traversed steep canyons and dry, rocky creek beds.

Tomorrow the Dakar competitors leave Argentina and enter Chile in a 909 kilometre stage from Chilecito to Copiapo with 315 kilometres of Special Stage.

The stage will throw everything at riders, starting at 4:30am and climbing to a height of 4800m preceding the Chilean border crossing, a host of rocky mining tracks, and finally, 40km of giant dunes and basins as competitors enter the Atacama Desert – considered the driest place on earth.

Dakar Rally Stage Three, San Juan to Chilecito –657 km:
1. 27 Walkner (Aut) KTM 02:34:28
2. 1 Coma (Esp) KTM 02:35:08 00:00:40
3. 2 Barreda Bort (Esp) Honda 02:36:21 00:01:53

4. 26 Toby Price (Aus) KTM 02:37:13 00:02:45

5. 7 Goncalves (Prt) Honda 02:37:17 00:02:49
6. 14 Duclos (Fra) Sherco Tvs 02:37:39 00:03:11
7. 11 Faria (Prt) KTM 02:37:54 00:03:26
8. 12 Israel Esquerre (Chl) Honda 02:38:30 00:04:02
9. 4 Viladoms (Esp) KTM 02:39:04 00:04:36
10. 10 Pedrero Garcia (Esp) Yamaha 02:39:49 00:05:21

Overall Standings after Stage 3:
1. 2 Barreda Bort (Esp) Honda 09:43:050
2. 7 Goncalves (Prt) Honda 09:48:38 00:05:33
3. 27 Walkner (Aut) KTM 09:53:38 00:10:33
4. 1 Coma (Esp) KTM 09:53:55 00:10:50
5. 11 Faria (Prt) KTM 09:55:15 00:12:10
6. 26 Toby Price (Aus) KTM 09:55:29 00:12:24
7. 4 Viladoms (Esp) KTM 09:57:12 00:14:07
8. 12 Israel Esquerre (Chl) Honda 10:01:38 00:18:33″
9. 5 Rodrigues (Prt) Honda 10:01:39 00:18:34
10. 10 Pedrero Garcia (Esp) Yamaha 10:06:07 00:23:02

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