Yesterday, Tuesday, January 3, 2023, the competitions of the third stage of the Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2023 took place, as the route of this stage reached 670 km, of which 447 km were on the special stage, taking into account timing, because. the participants started at this stage from Al-Ula to Hail, and due to weather conditions, the organizers had to stop this stage after 377 km; To ensure the safety of participants.
In terms of competition, French Gerlain Chichere, driver of the GCK team, was able to win this stage in the car category with a time of 3 hours 22 minutes and 57 seconds, and Argentine Orlando Terranova, driver of the Bahrain Red Extreme team, took second place with 5 seconds 4 minutes 4 seconds behind the leader, while Saudi Arabia’s Overdrive driver Yazid Al Raji finished third, 8 minutes 31 seconds behind the leader.
At the end of this stage, Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, the driver of the Toyota team, managed to take the lead in the overall standings, followed by the Saudi Yazid Al-Raji, who took second place with a difference of 13 points. minutes 20 seconds, followed by the Frenchman Simon Vets, the pilot of the MD Rally team, third, with a difference of 24 minutes and 35 seconds.
Australian Daniel Sanders, rider of the Red Bull Gasgas team, was able to write his name as the leader of this stage in the motorcycle category, with a time of 4 hours 24 minutes and 15 seconds, followed by Argentine Kevin Benavidez, rider of the Red Bull KTM team with a difference of 5 minutes 23 seconds, American Skyler Howes of the Husqvarna team was third, 6 minutes and 19 seconds behind the leader.
Australian Daniel Sanders led the overall rankings in this category, followed by Mason Klein in second and Kevin Benavidez in third.
France’s Alexandre Giroud of the Yamaha Racing SXM Drag-On team managed to set the best time in the ATV category with a time of 4 hours 44 minutes and 31 seconds, and Argentina’s Francesco Moreno of the Drag-On team. Team Rally finished second, 14 minutes and 13 seconds apart, while Slovak Garage Varga, a Varga Motor Sport Team rider, finished second, 15 minutes and 42 seconds behind the leader.
Alexandre Giroud was able to consolidate his lead in the overall ATV category with a difference of 32 minutes and 42 seconds from Francesco Moreno, who placed second, and American Pablo Copetti, who placed third.
In the T3 desert light car category, American Austin Jones, driver of the Red Bull Offroad Junior, arrived first with a time of 4 hours 5 minutes and 3 seconds, followed by his fellow American driver. Seth Quintero’s team by 44 seconds and Belgian Guillaume de Mevius was third, a minute and 35 seconds back.
American Seth Quintero climbed to the top of the overall standings in this category, one minute ahead of Guillaume de Mevius in second place, while American Mitchell Guthrie came in third.
Poland’s Marek Gochal continued his outstanding performance in the T4 Desert Light Commercial Vehicles category with first place, while South Racing Can-Am’s Cristiano Batista of Brazil came in second, 20 seconds back. and Lithuanian Rokas Pasiushka was third with a difference of 4 minutes 54 minutes per second.
Pole Gochal retained his lead in the overall standings of this category, 11 minutes and 35 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Rodrigo Lope de Oliveira, while Erik Gochal finished third, 33 minutes and 15 seconds back.
Czech Martin Masek, driver of the MM Technology Team, was able to take first place in the truck category with a time of 4 hours 3 minutes and 3 seconds, ahead of his compatriot Jorslav Walter, the driver of the Tatra Pajera ZM. ”, who took second place with a difference of 4 minutes and 7 seconds, and the Dutchman Janus van Caseren, the driver of the De Rooy team, took third place with a time difference of 4 minutes and 8 seconds.
Czech Alisa Lubris, the pilot of the InstaForex Lubris Braga team, continued to lead in the overall standings in this category, ahead of Jurislav Walter by 9 minutes 15 seconds, as well as Kasterina, who took third place, by 25 minutes 28 seconds.
It is worth noting that today, Wednesday, the competitions of the fourth stage will start, which will be a circular stage in Grad, for a distance of 577 km, of which 152 km are for the connecting stage, and 425 km for the special stage. stage, depending on time.