At 331 kilometres in length, the timed special on day three was always going to be demanding. Starting at sea level and climbing to an altitude of over 2,000 metres, the stage tested the riders to their limits. Not only was the mixture of sand dunes and river beds physically tiring for competitors, tricky navigation and fog encountered on the highest sections of the stage also made the day mentally exhausting.
Again opting to prioritise bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home safely, rather than pushing and risking a mistake, the 2016 Dakar Champion placed ninth at the end of the stage.
Toby Price: “I think it was more about survival than racing today. It was a really tough stage but I got through it and I’m feeling good and that’s what matters. I got lost early on and that cost me some time to the front runners. Then at about the 130-kilometre mark there was a lot of fog in the mountains. The road book didn’t have too many details and there were a few cliffs you could have dropped off. Luckily, I missed them. I’m still trying to hang on and get to the end of each stage but overall things are good.”
A small technical issue after the last waypoint left the Rod Raggotter with no chance of finishing the stage. The Factory Yamaha rider came into the day’s stage in 28th position and was 14th with one waypoint remaining but will now be forced to sit out the rest of the 2019 Dakar Rally.
Ben Young finished an impressive 59th in the tough 331km stage and is now 84th in the overall standings. James Ferguson finished 106th in the stage and is 107th overall.
In the quad class John Maragozidis finished 20th for the day and is 20th overall.
We will update you on the position of Aussie duo Stephen Riley and Trevor Hanks in the car category shortly.
