DAKAR 2020

Victory and leadership for Ricky Brabec, Joan Barreda in podium position

The American Ricky Brabec is the new leader of the Dakar 2020 after prevailing in the third stage, becoming the third different winner of the test in Saudi Arabia, where paradoxically the three stage winners come from different continents without being any European: after Oceania and Africa has been the turn of America. Joan Barreda has been third and happens to occupy that same position in the general.
It took three days for the Dakar 2020 to offer a stage that opens differences from the real ones, and it has done so with a clear winner (Honda) and a clear loser (KTM), on a day marked by an incident of illustrious pilots like those of Adrien Van Beveren, who had to leave after a hard fall and Paulo Gonçalves, who lost more than six hours after a break; which greatly compromises the options of Yamaha and Haro, respectively.
Meanwhile, the brand of the golden wing has seen how its four pilots were the first to reach the goal of Neom to be in the top five of the stage, thus achieving one of the best overall results in its history.
The great beneficiary has been the American Ricky Brabec, who left far behind and has hunted his three companions to prevail on the stage with a time of 4 hours, 8 minutes and 23 seconds in the special of 427 kilometers with departure and arrival in Neom to outdo his teammate Nacho Cornejo in more than nine minutes and Joan Barreda in more than 13, who has completed Honda's hat-trick on the stage.
It has been close to being a poker with Kevin Benavides, but the Argentine has seen how his brother Luciano Benavides had a better time almost a minute, almost 18 minutes from Brabec. Matthias Walkner, sixth at 20 minutes of the winner, with Pablo Quintanilla at 24 minutes, has also been saved within KTM's collapse.
Not only Barreda has shone among Spanish drivers, since rookie Jaume Betriu has had his first great day as a Dakarian at the end of the eighth half hour of the best time, just ahead of his compatriot Lorenzo Santolino and also rookie, the French Sebastien Lagut
Both benefited from the time lost by some of the favorites: Toby Price has been 12th to 35 minutes from the winner after losing in the last leg of the stage, where Xavier De Soultrait, who has entered 48 minutes, also left a lot of time.
More progressive has been the loss of Sam Sunderland, who started the day as a leader and has given up almost 39 minutes; while yesterday's winner, Ross Branch, has fallen and lost almost an hour and a half in goal. Other illustrious names that have yielded much longer than expected are those of Franco Caimi or Stefan Svitko, who have lost almost an hour.
In front of all of them they have finished more Spaniards, like Joan Pedrero, 13th just behind Price; or Laia Sanz, who despite the hip pains in the wake of yesterday's fall and having to roll much slower than usual, has made good sailing skills to recover many positions in the last section until the 22nd end after be the whole stage closer to the top 40.
Near Sanz, which has again won with solvency among the women, Fausto Mota has finished in 27th place for a total of six Spaniards in the top 30, more than any other country.

BRABEC LEADS, HONDA HEGEMONIC
The victory of Ricky Brabec has not only catapulted the leader of the general classification, but he has done so with an advantage that, although premature by the amount of evidence that remains ahead, if relevant: more than 15 minutes to Nacho Cornejo and Joan Barreda and 16 with Kevin Benavides, who make up a Honda poker at the top of the table.


Nacho Cornejo is second overall.

After them, the first two KTMs appear, those of Matthias Walkner and Luciano Benavides, with Pablo Quintanilla seventh to 21 minutes with his Husqvarna and already more than half an hour the other two KTMs, those of Toby Price and Sam Sunderland, which they will need A huge comeback if they want to keep their final victory options. More than 50 minutes later Andrew Short is closing the top ten, in which there are only three brands and which Xavier De Soultrait wants to appear as Yamaha's great hope.
Outside of that top ten the Spanish pilots win positions, with Joan Pedrero and Lorenzo Santolino already in the top 15, with Jaume Betriu 24th, Laia Sanz 27th and Fausto Mota already getting into the top 40.

DAKAR 2020: RESULTADOS ETAPA 3
P	Piloto	País	Moto	Tiempo
1	Ricky BRABEC	EEUU	Honda	4h08'23''
2	José Ignacio CORNEJO	Chile	Honda	9'39''
3	Joan BARREDA	España	Honda	13'16''
4	Luciano BENAVIDES	Argentina	KTM	17'54''
5	Kevin BENAVIDES	Argentina	Honda	18'51''
6	Matthias WALKNER	Austria	KTM	20'07''
7	Pablo QUINTANILLA	Chile	Husqvarna	24'18''
8	Jaume BETRIU	España	KTM	30'42''
9	Lorenzo SANTOLINO	España	Sherco TVS	32'57''
10	Sebastien LAGUT	Francia	KTM	32'58''

Nacho González