Dakar Day3: Orlando keeps Mini momentum

CHILECITO, Argentina - Orlando Terranova maintained Mini's winning streak as the Argentine claimed a second stage win on Tuesday (Jan 6) to move third overall in the 2015 Dakar Rally led by team mate Nasser al-Attiyah.

After crashing at the end of the special stage on Monday (Jan 5), Terranova bounced back on his home soil during the 542km third stage from San Juan to Chilecito.

Al-Attiyah finished fifth on Tuesday (Jan 6) on a stage which included 284km of specials.

GINIEL IN SECOND

South Africa's Giniel de Villiers picked up his third podium finish in three days, ahead of another Toyota driven by Saudi Arabia's Alrahji Zayed, to stay second overall.

Terranova pulled back almost two minutes on Toyota's De Villiers, the 2009 winner, and more than four minutes on Qatari al-Attiyah in the overall standings.

Carlos Sainz, winner in 2010, finished fourth at 4min6 to move up to fourth overall while fellow Peugeot veteran Stephane Peterhansel was seventh, nine minutes off the pace, to sit 16th overall at 1hr12min.

MOTORCYCLE RESULTS

Matthias Walkner won his first Dakar stage ahead of KTM team mate and reigning champion Marc Coma and overall race leader Joan Barreda Bort of Spain. Walkner said later: "I made some little mistakes because it was a little bit dangerous today with many stones and it forced you over the limit, but overall it was quite good.

"It's my first rally and I hope I can enjoy it."

Overall Honda's Barreda Bort leads ahead of Portuguese team mate Paulo Goncalves and Walkner. Coma is fourth at 10min50. Bort said: "It was really dangerous because we were on river beds with a lot of stones and broken up tracks all day. Now we go to Chile and there will be different stages and a different feeling so we will see there."

DAKAR TAKES ITS TOLL

More than 30 vehicles failed to start on Tuesday (Jan 6) after falling victim to Monday's longest stage, among them the 4x4 of French duo Catherine Houles and Sandrine Ridet, the only female crew particpating.

Japanese veteran Sugawara Yoshimasa (73), the race continues as he looks to continue his 33rd Dakar adventure in Wednesday's fourth stage from Chilecito in Argentina to Copiapo in Chile.

Results after Stage 3 of the 2015 Dakar Rally on January 6 from San Juan to Chilecito in Argentina:

Auto
1 Orlando Terranova/Bernardo Graue (ARG/ARG/Mini) 2hr57min28
2 Giniel De Villiers/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (RSA/GER/Toyota) +1min54
3 Yazeed Alrajhi/Timo Gttschalk (KSA/GER/Toyota) +2min52
4 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (ESP/ESP/Peugeot) +4min06
5 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel (QAT/FRA/Mini) +4min18
6 Nani Roma/Michel Prin (ESP/FRA/Mini) +5min58
7 Stephane Peterhansel/Jean Paul Cottret (FRA/FRA/Peugeot) + 9min26
8 Erik Van Loon/Wouter Rosegaar (NED/NED/Mini) +11min57
9 Ronan Chabot/Gilles Pillot (FRA/FRA/Smg) +15min49
10 Christian Lavieille/Pascal Maimon (FRA/FRA/Toyota) +16min28

Overall standings

1 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel (QAT/FRA/Mini) 9hr21min26 (penality: 2:00)
2 Giniel De Villiers/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (RSA/GER/Toyota) +5min18
3 Orlando Terranova/Bernardo Graue (ARG/ARG/Mini) +18min05
4 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (ESP/ESP/Peugeot) +19min32
5 Yazeed Alrajhi/Timo Gttschalk (KSA/GER/Toyota) +20min08
6 Krzysztof Holowczyc/Xavier Panseri (POL/FRA/Mini) +25min24
7 Erik Van Loon/Wouter Rosegaar (NED/NED/Mini) +27min43
8 Bernhard Ten Brinke/Tom Colsoul (NED/BEL/Toyota) +36min22
9 Carlos Sousa/Paulo Fiuza (POR/POR/Mitsubishi) +41min52
10 Christian Lavieille/Pascal Maimon (FRA/FRA/Toyota) +43min38

Motorcycles

1 Matthias Walkner (AUT/KTM) 2hr34min28
2 Marc Coma (ESP/KTM) 40sec
3 Joan Barreda Bort (ESP/Honda) +1min53
4 Toby Price (AUS/KTM +2min45
5 Paulo Goncalves (POR/Honda) +2min49
6 Alain Duclos (FRA/Sherco Tvs) +3min11
7 Ruben Faria (POR/KTM) +3min26
8 Jeremias Israel Esquerre (CHI/Honda) +4min02
9 Jordi Viladoms (ESP/KTM) +4min36
10 Juan Pedrero Garcia (ESP/Yamaha) +5min21.

Overall standings
1 Joan Barreda Bort (ESP/Honda) 9hr 43min 05sec
2 Paulo Goncalves (POR/Honda) +5min33
3 Matthias Walkner (AUT/KTM) +10min33
4 Marc Coma (ESP/KTM) +10min50
5 Ruben Faria (POR/KTM) +12min10
6 Toby Price (AUS/Ktm) +12min24
7 Jordi Viladoms (ESP/KTM) +14min07
8 Jeremias Israel Esquerre (CHI/Honda) +18min33
9 Helder Rodrigues (POR/Honda) +18min34
10 Juan Pedrero Garcia (ESP/Yamaha) +23min02