FONTE: OASPORT.ITDakar 2016, pronto riscatto per Barreda, Price in affanno, 14^ BotturiQuest’oggi la Dakar 2016 prevedeva lo svolgimento della terza tappa, da Termas De Rio Hondo a San Salvador De Jujuy. Terza prova che, come la precedente, ha visto ridursi il numero di km di sezione speciale a causa delle pessime condizioni meteo che imperversano in Argentina. Frazione divenuta dunque “short”, di appena 200 km. 350 invece, i km di trasferimento.
Inoltre, il percorso scorrevole, caratterizzato da sentieri di montagna e dal terreno tipicamente “stradale”. ha impedito il materializzarsi di una prima selezione che molti attendevano, in special modo per quanto riguarda la categoria delle moto.
Veniamo alla cronaca. Dopo un avvio in sordina i centauri della Honda si sono prontamente riscattati. Vittoria odierna per Joan Barreda con il tempo di 2 ore, 30 minuti e 37 secondi. L’iberico ha tenuto a bada due suoi compagni di scuderia: il sorprendente argentino Kevin Bonavides, secondo ad appena 26 secondi, ed il portoghese Paulo Goncalves, distanziato di 52 secondi.
Quarto il francese Antoine Meo, su KTM, ad un secondo dal podio di giornata. Segue il brillante slovacco Stefan Svitko (KTM, a 57 secondi). Come detto, i distacchi sono ancora molto contenuti, anche a causa dei continui tagli operati ai chilometraggi iniziali. Tappe come quella odierna non danno visibili scossoni alla classifica, salvo giornate storte di qualche protagonista. E’ il caso del mattatore di ieri, ovvero Toby Price. Il pilota KTM, vittorioso nella seconda prova di questa Dakar, è incappato in una controprestazione. In difficoltà sin dal primo intermedio, l’australiano è stato ripreso dal portoghese Ruben Faria, suo immediato inseguitore in classifica generale. Entrambi hanno chiuso con distacchi importanti, Price ad 8 minuti e 7 secondi, Faria (Husqvarna) a 5 e 59.
Senza infamia e senza lodi la giornata del nostro Alessandro Botturi. Il centauro bresciano non è riuscito a spingere la sua Yamaha oltre il 14^ posto, chiudendo la tappa a 3 minuti e 56 secondi da Barreda.
In classifica generale si assiste subito ad un cambio di guardia. Piccola rivoluzione con Faria e Price che cedono posizioni e si attestano ai margini della top ten, mentre Barreda balza al comando incalzato da Svitko e Benavides. Botturi, 11^, insidia da vicino le prime 10 posizioni.
TOP TEN TERZA TAPPA MOTO
1 – Joan Barreda (ESP, Honda) 02:30:37
2 – Kevin Benavides (ARG, Honda) a 26 secondi
3 – Paulo Goncalves (POR, Honda) a 52 secondi
4 – Antoine Meo (FRA, KTM) a 53 secondi
5 – Stefan Svitko (SVK) a 57 secondi
6 – Pablo Quintavilla (Husqvarna) ad un minuto e 18 secondi
7 – Adrien Van Beveren (FRA, Yamaha) a 2 minuti e 2 secondi
8 – Gerard Farres (ESP, KTM) a 2 minuti e 12 secondi
9 – Alain Duclos (FRA, Sherco) a 2 minuti e 21 secondi
10 – Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM) a 2 minuti e 52 secondi
14 – Alessandro Botturi (ITA, Yamaha) a 3 minuti e 56 secondi
SOURCE: ENDURONEWS.COMNewcomer Meo fastest Red Bull KTM Factory rider in Dakar Stage 3
Newcomer Meo fastest Red Bull KTM Factory rider in Dakar Stage 3
Red Bull KTM’s Antoine Meo on Tuesday continued to discover his taste for rally raid when he was the fastest KTM factory rider over a shortened third stage of the Dakar Rally. Spain’s Joan Barreda eventually won the stage, which took riders a total distance of 663km from Termas de Río Hondo to San Salvadore de Jujuy.
Meo crossed the line in fourth place ahead of KTM rider Stefan Svitko of Slovakia and improved his position in the overall standings by moving up to 13th place. The French rider who came into the team as an enduro world champion, started his day well after been given back time lost on Monday when he stopped to assist an injured rider. He was the 15th starter in stage three and managed to get out of the dust by the 20km mark.
Meo: “After that I pushed harder and it was good for me. I didn’t want to start first tomorrow because I’m not ready to open a hard stage so fourth place is not too bad. Also it will be a difficult stage. I will try to learn more about the rally and also to understand the marathon stage. I need to use the tire better and stay safe.”
Teammate Matthias Walkner finished tenth in the stage that was originally to be 314km but was cut down to under 200km because of the continued difficult weather conditions. The Austrian rider is now sixth overall but only one minute 47 off the leading time.
Walkner: “Today was quite good, not so much navigation and I tried to do the same as yesterday and go at maybe 95% to find a good rhythm. I think tomorrow the navigation is going to get tougher and we have a long, more than 400km special ahead of us. The top six are within two minutes of each other so this is where it really begins.”
Despite a small crash at the beginning of the special, KTM Factory rider Laia Sanz put in another good day to finish in 21st and now has the same position in the overall standings. She was four minutes 34 off the fastest time and has a 13.04 deficit overall, one minute of which was a penalty from Stage Two.
Sanz: ‘I lost a lot of time but everyone is so close, there are 10 riders within two minutes. I think I am doing a good job and the next stages will have more things to open the race. I hope to have no problems in tomorrow’s marathon stage, I have to be smart and hope nothing happens.”
Team veteran Jordi Viladoms finished six minutes off the pace in 29th place but admitted that fast stages with little navigation were not his strongest.
Viladoms: “At the moment it’s zero navigation and I’m just trying to get a good rhythm and try not to lose too much time. I’m not so good in these kind of stages so I need to be patient and wait for the more difficult ones.”
But it was Monday’s stage winner Toby Price who was the unluckiest of the team on Tuesday after he got into difficulties with his GPS in the opening part of the timed special. Things went well for the Australian rider after that until he ran into some problems with cars, spectators and animals on the track. “That killed the confidence a bit so I backed it off because I didn’t want to cartwheel or hit anything. But it’s a long race and today cost me a bit of time but I’m still in a good overall position and I’m happy about that. We’re still good and we’ll sort it out tomorrow.” Price is now 10th overall.
Wednesday’s opening stage of the marathon where riders are not allowed any assistance from mechanics and teams is a loop around San Salvadore de Jujuy over another long distance of a total of 629km. Assuming the tricky weather allows it, the stage will include a timed special of 429km. Riders will also be competing in an average altitude of 3500m. There will also be a lot of changes of pace so plenty of new challenges for this year’s title contenders.
www.dakar.com OVERALL BIKES
1. S. Svitko
2. K. Benavides +0'34"
3. J. Barreda +0'46"
FONTE: FIM-LIVE.COM
A clean sweep for Honda in stage 3!
Honda ruled on Tuesday Honda ruled on Tuesday
DAKAR 2016 Buenos Aires, 5 January 2016 3rd stage: Termas Rio Hondo - Jujuy
Special 190 km – Link section: 436 km – Total: 626 km
The weather continues to dog the Dakar this year and the riders set out this morning from Termas Río Hondo beneath a thundery sky after a night of sweltering heat. Because of the rains, the rivers were uncrossable so the Organisers had to neutralise the first part and the 3rd Special was reduced to just 190 km.
Joan Barreda (Honda), who set out in 7th place, got his revenge by winning today’s Special. “It was a great day”, he said, “especially after yesterday when I had to open the trail. I was able to keep up a good pace throughout the Special and although the differences are not huge, it’s good to be in the leading pack. Later on, there’ll be more focus on navigation”. Behind the overall leader, his Honda team mate Paulo Gonçalves came in second followed by Argentine rookie Kevin Benavides (Honda), racing his first Dakar at 28 and somewhat surprised to find himself in that position.
Enduro World Champion Antoine Meo (KTM) also put in a good performance. Yesterday, he stopped to help an Italian rider but was credited with the lost time and came in 4th in today’s stage. Meo, who came to learn, has started his Dakar in fine style. Svitko (KTM) is still chugging along, taking 5th place (but 2nd overall, 14 seconds behind Barreda) ahead of Chile’s Quintanilla (KTM), Van Beveren (Yamaha), Farres (KTM) and Duclos, who is riding carefully and within his comfort zone but whose Sherco is going along very well. Matthias Walkner (KTM) is currently in 10th.
Tony Price, 37th, also rode carefully: “There were lots of animals on the track”, he said, “and I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks as we’re only on the third day. I am just 6 or 7 minutes behind and tomorrow I’ll be well placed at the start. You have to ride with your head and stay close to the leaders, as nothing is decided until the second week!”
Several riders have dropped out including Daniel Gouet who broke the engine on his Suzuki.
In quad, Ignacio Casale is up against South Africa’s Baragwanath, who won the day’s stage with a 4-second lead over the Chilean, who still tops the leader board. Brazil’s Medeiros came in 3rd followed by Sonik and Patronelli.
Judith Tomaselli
