Hunter Valley desert racer Toby Price achieved his sixth top-five finish of the 2015 Dakar Rally overnight, as the second of the event’s two Marathon two stages began on the 891 kilometre road from Calama to Salta.
The three-time Finke Desert Race winner is now only by 24 seconds behind a real chance of a podium position in his maiden Dakar Rally, gaining more than four minutes on current third place Chilean, Pablo Qunitanilla.
24 seconds and 3 stages. That’s what stands between @tobyprice87 and the #Dakar2015 podium! http://t.co/0yqASXOKxX pic.twitter.com/q53krRSD4C
— FOX MOTORSPORT (@Fox_Motorsport) January 14, 2015
Price was happy with the stage ten result, “Each stage has it’s own challenges and todays was the very hight altitudes which really zaps a lot of you energy.
“Luckily for us the stage was pretty simple and quite fun to be honest.
“There was a mixture of terrain during stage ten, you had to be on the ball and conserve as much energy as possible.
“I’m really excited to be moving forward on a solid stage and see what tomorrow brings.” He said.
Joan Barreda Bort won the 371-kilometre timed component of the stage, ahead of defending champion Marc Coma and Ruben Faria, with Australian Price just 17 seconds further down the road from such qualified company, in fourth place.
Barreda, frustrated by a streak of bad luck which sounded the death knell for his overall ambitions in stage 8, was determined to grab as many stage wins as possible to finish the Dakar in style.
The Spaniard, possibly the most talented rider in the field, claimed his third win since the start in Buenos Aires after setting an infernal pace throughout the entire special and finishing around one-and-a-half minutes ahead of Marc Coma in Cachi.
Coma himself was the other big winner of today’s stage, as he increased the gap separating him from his closest rivals.
Stage 10 – Bikes: @joanbangbang88 is currently leading the Marathon! / lidera la Maratón por el momento! #Dakar2015 pic.twitter.com/iEb4bqpNs2
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 14, 2015
The marathon classification means that for the second time in the event, riders will again have no access to their teams overnight, placing a premium on careful management of the machine, and particularly of tyres, tomorrow.
With many kilometres of inhospitable terrain to go however, tomorrow’s stage is 512 kilometres between Salta and Termas Rio Hondo, where competitors who wish to make all their effort pay off will have to exercise maximum vigilance.
Dakar Rally Stage Ten, Calama to Salta – 891km
(first half of second marathon stage)
1. Joan Barreda, ESP, Honda at 4:07.11
2. Marc Coma, ESP, KTM at 1.39
3. Ruben Faria, POR, KTM at 1.57
4. Toby Price, AUS, KTM at 2.14
5. Paolo Goncalves, POR Honda at 3.46
6. Stefan Svitko, SVK, KTM at 6.22
7. Helder Rodrigues, POR, Honda, at 6.26
8. Pablo Qunitanilla, CHI, KTM 6.29
9. Ivan Jakes, SVK, KTM, 8.59
10. Hans Vogels, NDL, KTM, at 10.19
2015 Dakar Rally Standings After Stage 10:
1. Coma, KTM at 38:13.50
2. Goncalves at 7.35
3. Qunitanilla KTM at 31.42
4. Price, KTM at 32.06
5. Svitko, KTM at 45.19
6. Casteu, KTM at 1:41.14
7. Faria, KTM at 1:41.40
8. Sanz at 2:05.00
9. Jakes, at 2:25.51
Previous Dakar Rally News
Dakar Rally – Another Top-five For Price
Dakar Rally – Price Fifth After Marathon Stage Seven
Price is Right with 2nd place finish Stage Six of Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally 2015 – Coma wins stage five
Dakar Rally – Navigation error costly for Price
Toby Price moves to sixth overall in Dakar Rally
Toby Price fifth place after Dakar Rally stage two
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