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Dakar Day 3: Clean sweep for Minis

SAN JUAN, Argentina - Spaniard Nani Roma (Mini) moved into the Dakar Rally lead after winning Stage 3 of the 2014 Dakar Rally on Tuesday (Jan 7 2014) while favourite Stephane Peterhansel had a nightmare day.

Frenchman Peterhansel began the day in the overall lead after winning Monday's run but took six punctures and eventually came home 28th and more than 28 minutes behind Roma.

In the overall standings, Roma is now leading three Minis with Argentine Orlando Terranova second and Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar third. Peterhansel is down in fifth place overall but 24min08 behind Roma in the race.

'NEVER A DAKAR LIKE IT'

Peterhansel, 11-times winner (six times on two wheels, five times on four), admitted he had not enjoyed the 301km timed section from San Rafael to San Juan.

"I've never known a Dakar stage like it," he said. "It was a nightmare today. We punctured six times! On the first I hit a big rock, that's my fault, but then we were the first to go out and we found ourselves completely off-piste in very tall vegetation thanks to a last-gasp swerve due to bad weather and mud.

"When we got out of that we had three slow punctures out of four wheels. As we were the first car we cleared the track for the rest. We were thrown into the lion's den but I can't see how we could have done anything differently.

"We couldn't have imagined that in clearing a path in the vegetation we'd get three punctures out of four wheels."

Roma told the official Dakar website later: "You know, sometimes the Dakar is crazy and this stage was like that. The drivers in front of me had some problems and I tried to be really concentrated all through the stage and not make mistakes.

"Anyway, I've got here, and I'm happy, but on the Dakar Valparaiso is still far. We need to really concentrate every day."

South Africa's Leeroy Poulter (Toyota Hilux) finished the day third and is 10th overall while team mate Giniel de Villiers is now sixth overall.

MOTORCYCLES

In the motorcycle section, Spaniard Joan Barreda (Honda) increased his overall lead on the stage, a 292km timed special.

Frenchman Cyril Despres (Yamaha) was second on the day and Spain's Marc Coma (KTM) third.

The three remain 1, 2 and 3 in the overall standings.

Results from Stage 3 of the 2014 Dakar Rally, a 301km timed car run and 373km timed motorcycle run from San Rafael to San Juan, Argentina:

Cars
1 Nani Roma (ESP/Mini) 2hr58min52
2 Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL/Mini) +1min07
3 Leeroy Poulter (RSA/Toyota) +3min19
4 Orlando Terranova (ARG/Mini) +4min54
5 Guerlain Chicherit (FRA/Jefferies) +6min52
6 Robby Gordon (USA/Hummer) +7min02
7 Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT/ESP/Mini) +10min09
8 Erik Wevers, (NED/Hrx) +10min39
9 Federico Villagra (ARG/Mini) +10min54
10 Erik Van Loon (NED/Ford) +11min01

Overall standings
1 Nani Roma (ESP/Mini) 9hr20min13
2 Orlando Terranova (ARG/Mini) +9min06
3 Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT/Mini) +10min00
4 Carlos Sainz (ESP/Smg) +12min02
5 Stephane Peterhansel (FRA/Mini) +24min08
6 Giniel De Villiers (RSA/Toyota) +26min23
7 Christian Lavieille (FRA/Haval) +31min23
8 Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL/Mini) +33min56
9 Erik Wevers (NED/Hrx) +44min39
10 Leeroy Poulter (RSA/Toyota) +45min10

Motorcycles
1 Joan Barreda Bort (ESP/Honda) 3hr47min03
2 Cyril Despres (FRA/Yamaha) +4min41
3 Marc Coma (ESP/KTM) +6min56
4 Alain Duclos (FRA/Sherco) +10min51
5 David Casteu (FRA/KTM) +11min17
6 Francisco Lopez Contardo (CHI/KTM) +16min36
7 Gerard Farres Guell (ESP/Gas - Gas) +16min50
8 Stefan Svitko (SVK/KTM) +19min06
9 Kuba Przygonski (POL/KTM) +20min12
10 Olivier Pain (FRA/Yamaha) +20min34

Overall standings
1 Joan Barreda Bort (ESP/Honda) 9hr56mn44
2 Cyril Despres (FRA/Yamaha) +13min04
3 Marc Coma (ESP/KTM) +13min56
4 Alain Duclos (FRA/Sherco) +16min38
5 Francisco Lopez Contardo (CHI/KTM) +18min39
6 David Casteu (FRA/KTM) +22min16
7 Jordi Viladoms (ESP/KTM) +34min33
8 Olivier Pain (FRA/Yamaha) +36min33
9 Kuba Przygonski (POL/KTM) +37min54
10 Stefan Svitko (SVK/KTM) +40min09
.
FLASHBACK MEMORIES

US - Stage 3 - Inside Dakar 2014 - Worst... by Dakar
Bookmark Wheels24's special Dakar Rally section to keep up with event news and results.
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