In the 3rd stage of the Dakar Rally 2020, the participants drive in a circuit of 504 km from and to Neom. And now the infamous Dakar shows its notorious and dangerous side for the first time, because for some it is unexpectedly the end from here on. Burning cars, heavy crashes at horrendous speeds, broken bones and concussions, that's what the Dakar also has to offer.
In the car category, it hits Sheikh Khalid Al Quassimi and his co-driver Xavier Panseri on number 308, who completely disassemble their car with a violent crash. The medical team checks the two drivers, who are okay. The vehicle, however, is scrap. Even harder hit is number 317 with pilot Vladimir Vasilyev and co-pilot Vitaliy Yevtyekhov, whose vehicle burns out completely. For the two of them, this is the end of the Dakar. A good race is delivered by Saudi Yazeed al Rajhi on number 309, he obviously can play a certain "home advantage". With a gap of 7:36 minutes, he takes 6th place in the stage and remains within striking distance of the overall leaders with a gap of 18:58 minutes. His compatriot Yasir Seaidan does even better, taking 3rd place and moving up to 11th overall. 13-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel naturally wants to win the first Dakar on Saudi Arabian terrain, but today he gets lost on the last section, which costs him 10:26 minutes and puts him in 5th place overall. In return, the veterans Nasser Al-Attiyah and Carlos Sainz engage in a neck-and-neck race, which the Spaniard is able to decide in his favor, and finish the day in 1st and 5th place. Al-Attiyah can at least bag his team-mate Giniel de Villiers. Fernando Alonso also delivers a strong race, taking 4th place on today's stage and losing only 6:14 minutes to Sainz.
Also with the Bikern it does not go without failures. The Frenchman Adrien van Beveren on Yamaha crashes heavily after only 4 kilometers at a speed of 120 km / h. A broken collarbone and a bruised eye are proof that the Frenchman has a good guardian angel. Kevin Benafides shows a strong ride, fast, determined, safe, only a small navigation error costs him the top spot today. The young Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo also shows a strong ride. Last year he was eighth and this year he is clearly striving for more. With today's 2nd place he secures the 5th intermediate place in the overall classification. The American rides the race of the day today, winning today's stage and taking the overall lead. "I want to go full throttle every day, but you have to stay careful, otherwise you win a stage, then you lose a stage, and where does that lead?",he says in the interview. Im obviously liking it, he's having fun, it's hard, rocky, sandy, fast, he's confident and he hopes it continues.
After the first three stages, a first field of favorites is slowly making itself felt, some talents who could surprise and the old hands to bring a sure victory. It remains exciting at the Dakar.
English 
Deutsch 
Français 
Español 
Italiano 
