Dakar2013 – Leg 3: victory for Lopez, but Despres takes the lead

Chile’s Chaleco Lopez collected his second stage win of the week today by beating Portuguese rival Paulo Gonçalves (Husqvarna). Cyril Despres (KTM) has taken over at the top of the leaderboard, while the overnight leader Joan Barreda Bort broke his rear wheel.

Leg 3: Pisco-Nazca (343km)

The first bikers to show up at the ad hoc interview zone after the stage agreed that today’s run from Pisco to Nazca was particularly impressive. “The view over the dunes and the Pacific from the top of the long downhill section at Km225 was superb,” related fifth-placed David Casteu. “It was so stunning that I stopped for a short moment to admire it!”

This morning, the Yamaha/Michelin rider lost no time catching the five competitors who started ahead of him and he soon found himself first on the road. “Running at the very front of the field is great fun,” he smiled.

Rival Cyril Despres had little to add… “I’ve got nothing special to report today,” commented the Frenchman. “I’m in the lead now, though; that’s the main thing.” Despres covered the stage in the company of his backup team-mate Ruben Faria.

Chaleco Lopez (KTM/Michelin) claimed his second stage victory of the event and has moved to second overall, ahead of Pal Ullevalseter who rounds off an all-KTM/Michelin provisional podium. “Today’s stage was very different,” noted the Chilean. “The first part was fast, but then we hit fesh-fesh sand which was tough for me because I was running so far back.”

Lopez deprived Husqvarna/Michelin’s Paulo Gonçalves of the stage win he believed he had pocketed when we spoke to him in the interview zone. “I knew a good result was possible today, so I made the most of it,” he told us. “Tomorrow is going to be very hard.”

After coming so close to the stage win, Husqvarna-Speedbrain suffered further disappointment when this morning’s leader and SS2 winner Joan Barreda Bort broke his rear wheel. On top of that, the Spaniard ran out of fuel before the finish and had to be helped by team-mate Matt Fish who dropped a big chunk of time.

Other expected front-runners to run out of fuel were Portugal’s Helder Rodriguez (Honda) and David Frétigné (Yamaha).

Stage 3 classification:

1, Lopez (KTM), 2h37m54s. 2, Gonçalves (Husqvarna), +1m8s. 3, Despres (KTM), +4m8s. 4, Botturi (Husqvarna), +5m5s. 5, Przygonski (KTM), +5m20s. Etc.

Provisional standings after Leg 3:

1, Despres (KTM), 6h15m3s. 2, Lopez (KTM), +2m51s. 3, Ullevalseter (KTM), +4m59s. 4, Pain (Yamaha), +6m3s. 5, Casteu (Yamaha), +6m8s. Etc.