Stage 3
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Key points – FIM: 1-2-3 FOR KTM
- Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team had an early scare when Daniel Sanders made a navigation blunder. In the end, however, the Orange Clockwork prevailed. Luciano Benavides started in an advantageous fifth position and went on to claim his 20th W2RC victory, ahead of Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) and Ignacio Cornejo (Hero MotoSports). Three different manufacturers filled the podium, the first time that has happened since stage 3 of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. It was also the third win of the week for the Austrian manufacturer.
- KTM had more than one reason with celebrate as they locked out the provisional top 3. One year after clinching the Rally2 title in Morocco, Edgar Canet has taken over at the top, ahead of Benavides (+1′25″) and Sanders (+1′30″). The Spaniard had not been in this position since the Dakar (see Figure of the day), while the Argentinian has climbed three places (see Performance of the day). Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda HRC) is just off the podium but still within striking distance at 2′48″. The battle for victory has been blown wide open with two stages to go.
- Monster Energy Honda HRC continued to dominate Rally2, with Martim Ventura prevailing over his teammate Preston Campbell. The Portuguese rider stretched his overall lead, pushing his nearest rival Michael Docherty (Hero MotoSports) back to 18′36″. Unbeaten since the prologue, Albert MartĂn (Triumph Spain) and Antanas Kanopkinas (CFMoto Thunder Racing) are also pulling clear in Rally3 and the quad race, respectively.
Key points – FIA: LOEB TAKES THE STAGE AND SAINZ THE LEAD
- Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders) seemed destined for a revenge victory after his mechanical yesterday, only for the same thing to happen again today. His teammate SĂ©bastien Loeb completed the job to claim his 25th W2RC victory. It is a crucial win for the championship leader because it earned him 5 points and helps make up for the fact that he is unable to score overall points after his stage 1 troubles. Carlos Sainz (Ford Racing), Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) and Guillaume de MĂ©vius (X-Raid Mini) rounded out a top 4 with four different vehicles.
- Lucas Moraes (The Dacia Sandriders) looked set to retain the overall lead but hit trouble 12 km from the finish (see A crushing blow). Sainz inherited the lead, a first for him with Ford (see Figure of the day). Second at 3′20″, Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) made a major move in the title battle, where he has 13 points to claw back from Loeb (see Performance of the day). With Nani Roma (Ford Racing) at 6′18″, João Ferreira (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) at 8′02″ and Henk Lategan (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) at 8′40″, the top 5 are covered by less than 10 minutes.
- StĂ©phane Peterhansel (Defender Rally) made it two wins in a row in Stock. JeremĂas González Ferioli (Can-Am Factory) did the same in SSV. Last but not least, Alexandre Pinto (Old Friends Rally) got his revenge on Paul Spierings (Rebellion-Spierings) in Challenger.
„This is the nicest stage in the whole race. It ought to make a good impression on the competitors as they roll back into the bivouac. It’s another fast one with dunes and some navigation. It’s also the longest FIA stage, and the one with the most dunes. They’re going to have loads of fun with this one“, promised the race director, Marc Coma, commenting on stage 4. See you on the Race Center at 6:30 am (UTC+0) tomorrow for this 516 km odyssey including 384 km against the clock!
Source / Pictures: WR2C
