2013 Sealine Rally Stage 3 Results
The third of four stages in the Sealine Rally, round 2 of the 2013 Cross Countries Rally World Championship, wrapped up Thursday with Factory KTM’s Marc Coma in the lead.
But it’s a slim lead, the three-time Dakar winner just over two minutes ahead of Husqvarna’s Paolo Goncalves ahead of Friday’s final stage in Doha, Qatar.
Aboard his KTM 450 Rally, Coma has lead the Sealine Rally since the opening stage, and is looking to capture his second win this season. The Spaniard won round one of six in the Cross Countries Rally – the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenger – earlier this month. And last year, Coma also won the inaugural Sealine Rally.
During Thursday’s stage, Coma took the win ahead of Goncalves and the other factory KTM rider, Jakub Przygonski. Chaleco Lopez, the third member of the factory KTM team, took fourth, with USA’s Quinn Cody aboard the Speedbrain Husqvarna in fifth.
Coma had some issues during Wednesday’s stage 2 race. He was forced to stop and fix a broken seat, ultimately losing loads of time. When stage 2 wrapped up, Coma was only three seconds ahead of his main competitor Gonclaves.
Marc Coma (Factory KTM 450 Rally) says: “Its very complicated, the level is very high and the navigation is very challenging. But I feel very happy because my fitness is good and I think the navigation is going very well for me. Tomorrow for the last stage I will start in front and I will try to make a gap from the other top riders.”
KTM reports that riders are stationed in the desert bivouac outside of Doha and each day are on their bikes for four to five hours riding a loop circuit mostly in excess of 250 miles, of which more than 98 percent is timed special. The rally concludes on Friday with a shorter 175-mile stage of which 170 miles is timed special.
2013 Sealine Rally Stage 3 Results:
1. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 4 hours 40.35
2. Paolo Goncalves, Portugal, Speedbrain Husqvarna, at 2.01
3. Jakub Przygonski, Poland, KTM at 6.02
4. Chaleco Lopez, Chile, KTM at 8.01
5. Quinn Cody, USA, Speedbrain Husqvarna at 34.24
2013 Sealine Rally Overall results after Stage Three:
1. Coma, KTM 14:33.19
2. Goncalves, Husqvarna 14:35.23
3. Przygonski, KTM 14:39.27
4. Lopez, KTM 14:45.46
5. Juan Carlos Salvatiera, Bolivia, Honda, 16:06.03