The Dakar 2022 continues to offer surprises in the motorcycle category, because in the third stage came the first career victory in the most famous rally raid in the world for Joaquim Rodrigues, which is also the first for the Hero. The Portuguese lined up everyone on the Al Qaisumah ring, in what should have been the second part of this edition’s Marathon stage.
However, due to the abundant rain that has fallen in this area of Saudi Arabia in recent days, the race direction was first forced to give up the Marathon regulation (which does not provide assistance between two stages) and subsequently to shorten the special stage. today about 100 km. The stopwatches in fact started at the point that was originally set as CP1 and therefore the test lasted just 255 km.
However, this should not take away the merits of Rodrigues, who in this way managed to put a patch on the navigation mistake made in the first stage and to take away a great satisfaction. The Portuguese chased the former leader Daniel Sanders up to a few kilometers from the finish, but then he was the best of all in the final stretch, at the end ahead of Toby Price by 1’03 “.
And probably we will have to start paying close attention to the winner of the 2016 and 2019 editions of the Dakar, because after the disaster of the first stage for a couple of days he has been traveling at an excellent pace and has now reappeared close to the top 10. Even the ‘ Australian of the KTM therefore could be included in the list of those who are looking for victory. If tomorrow morning he starts second, and this will certainly be a handicap, it is equally true that today he managed to finish second despite starting fifth, so never say never.
The rookie Mason Klein also re-emerged among the protagonists of today, confirming his excellent sailing skills managing to set the third time, with a delay of 1’14 “. But in general the pilots did quite well at Stars and Stripes, because in fourth position we find Skyler Howes, who with her Husqvarna has heavily relaunched her candidacy for the final victory, since she occupies the same position in the general classification.
It is also very curious why Daniel Sanders was unable to achieve his third stage victory in four days of racing. The Australian from GasGas, who among other things at the end of yesterday’s stage also received a 10-minute penalty, stopped for several minutes to eat something, as he was starting to have very little energy.
In the end, therefore, he had to settle for the fifth time at 2’55 “, tight in the sandwich of the Americans, since behind him we find Andrew Short’s Yamaha and Ricky Brabec’s Honda, finally in the pack of the best after a race start. Really to forget. As for the men in the standings, having to start second, Sam Sunderland was unable to do better than the 17th time. However, the Briton of GasGas paid just 7’30 “and therefore maintained the leadership , even if for just 4 “against Adrien van Beveren’s Yamaha, today ninth at 4’43”.
However, Matthias Walkner, first among the KTM drivers who is now at 1’30 “after the tenth stage time, and the aforementioned Howes, who pays 3’55”, have also shortened the ranking. Sanders, on the other hand, is back in fifth position at 8’54 “. A gap that therefore must make him eat his hands for the penalty, without which he would be virtually in command of the race.
In sixth position Lorenzo Santolino was confirmed as one of the best, preceding Pablo Quintanilla, who was also today the author of a test in the shade after the excellent performances of the first two days. To follow, Kevin Benavides quietly becomes more and more threatening for the positions that matter. The winner of the last edition is among those who lost over half an hour in the first stage, but has already been able to reduce the overall gap of his KTM to 17’45 “.
Joan Barreda’s has increased slightly: after yesterday’s stage victory, the 28th of his career at the Dakar, the Honda rider had to open the track today and we have already seen that in this Saudi version of the Dakar he is always a problem. In the end, for him there was the 24th fastest time at 10’32 “. In the general, he was therefore 11th at 23’27”, behind Stefan Svitko and South African Aaron Mare, one of the revelations of this edition so far. , given that he was called up at the very last minute to replace the injured Franco Caimi.
After yesterday’s retirement, Danilo Petrucci is back in the race but with a penalty of 11 hours to serve, therefore cut off from any classification speech. A real shame, since in the end it was a trivial fuse in the fuel pump of his KTM that stopped him yesterday. However, the rider from Terni did not lose heart and today finished with the 22nd time and a delay of just over 9 minutes.
Speaking of Italians, the adventure of the other rookie Paolo Lucci also continues at full speed, who even today suffered a delay of just 16 minutes at the finish line. The driver of Solarys Racing thus retains the 30th place in the general classification, in which he pays just under an hour and a quarter. As for the Original by Motul, the classification reserved for riders in the race without assistance, the Lithuanian Arunas Gelazninkas, who occupies the 28th place overall, is in the lead.
Quad: Kancius forced to retire, Copetti takes the lead
The third stage of the Dakar 2022 gave a great twist in the Quad category, with the leader Laisvydas Kancius who was forced to raise the white flag. The Lithuanian accused a mechanical problem, also being stuck in the sand, so he was unable to continue his run.
The leadership then passed into the hands of Pablo Copetti, who today conquered his first stage affirmation in this edition, the sixth of his long experience in the Dakar. At the finish line in Al Qaisumah, the American rider preceded the French Alexandre Giroud by 2’04 “and the reigning champion Manuel Andujar by 4’14”, today forced to open the track having won yesterday’s stage.
The ranking is also similar in general, even if Copetti’s advantage is wider, given that he has 15’29 “of margin over his transalpine rival. Furthermore, in third position there is not Andujar, but Aleksandr Maksimov who, also accomplices 17 minutes of penalty, he travels almost half an hour late and precedes the winner of the Dakar 2021 by just over two minutes. Just two seconds behind then there is the Polish Kamil Wisniewski to complete the top 5.
It should be noted that today there were only 14 protagonists of this category who started and that among those who were forced to retire there is also Giovanni Enrico, second last year, who stopped following a technical problem and to a fall accused in the second stage.
Dakar 2022 – General Motorcycle Ranking after Stage 3 (Top 10)
Pos | Pilot | Motorcycle | Time / Gap | Penalty |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sam Sunderland | GasGas | 11.13’40 “ | |
2 | Adrien van Beveren | Yamaha | + 0’04 “ | |
3 | Matthias Walkner | KTM | + 1’30 “ | |
4 | Skyler Howes | Husqvarna | + 3’55 “ | |
5 | Daniel Sanders | GasGas | + 8’54 “ | + 10’00 “ |
6 | Lorenzo Santolino | Sherco | + 11’47 “ | |
7 | Pablo Quintanilla | Honda | + 16’51 “ | |
8 | Kevin Benavides | KTM | + 17’45 “ | |
9 | Stefan Svitko | KTM | + 17’54 “ | |
10 | Aaron Mare | Hero | + 18’41 “ |
Dakar 2022 – Quad general classification after Stage 3 (Top 5)
Pos | Pilot | Quad | Time / Gap | Penalty |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pablo Copetti | Yamaha | 14.10’56 “ | |
2 | Alexandre Giroud | Yamaha | + 15’29 “ | |
3 | Aleksandr Maximov | Yamaha | + 29’12 “ | + 17’00 “ |
4 | Manuel Andujar | Yamaha | + 31’33 “ | |
5 | Kamil Wisniewski | Yamaha | + 31’35 “ |
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