Price holds onto fourth overall with eighth as Dakar heads into rest day.
Image: Supplied.
Monster Energy Honda Team’s Ricky Brabec still maintains control of the 2019 Dakar Rally, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland topped day five of the gruelling event.
Riders were put up against 776-kilometre stage that saw the first mass start of the rally, where riders set off in a motocross-style race into the Ilo dunes as they contest the 345-kilometre timed special.
Sunderland lodged a time of 4h11m48s, edging out Yamalube Yamaha Rally’s Xavier de Soultrait by a slender 3m23s, significantly boosting the former winner in the overall standings.
Rookie Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) wound up third in the stage for his first top three, while the first five was rounded out by Adrien van Beveren (Yamalube Yamaha Rally) and Andrew Short (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).
Overall leader Brabec was 11th fastest in the stage, and is followed in the classification by Sunderland, Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – who was eighth on day five – and van Beveren.
Australians Ben Young (KTM) and James Ferguson (KTM) are now ranked 76th and 94th respectively after recording P89 and P92 results on the day. Compatriot Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Rally) was ruled out of the competition during stage three with a technical issue.
Saturday is a rest day for all 2019 Dakar Rally competitors. Riders will relax in Arequipa for the day before heading out to the bivouac on Saturday evening to prepare for Sunday’s stage six that will take them back to San Juan de Marcona.
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