Dakar 2014 Stage 3 Motorcycle Results | Honda’s Barreda Retains Lead

2014 Dakar Rally – HRC Honda’s Joan Barreda Wins Stage 3

Stage three – the first marathon stage in the 2014 Dakar Rally – took riders Tuesday through Argentina’s steep Andes Mountains that reached a record altitude of 4300 meters.

The marathon stage means riders will enter the bivouacs alone Tuesday evening, and will not meet up with their mechanics until the end of stage four. This creates much stress on the riders who must prep their own bikes ahead of stage four.

As riders piloted their machines 413 miles from San Rafael to San Juan in stage three, the man who dominated 232-mile special was Team HRC Honda’s Joan Barreda Bort. Due to keen navigation, Barreda was the first one to break the altitude record of 4,300 meters, which is the highest altitude ever in Dakar history.

The stage was slightly shortened due to unstable terrain, but this didn’t slow the Spaniard Barreda, known as “Bang Bang” – he finished the timed special in 3 hours 47 minutes and 3 seconds (03:47:03).

The Honda CRF 450 Rally rider dominated the opening stage of the rally, and finished third after a flawless ride in stage 2. His impressive performances allow him to retain the overall lead he held since Sunday, though a few past champions are starting to gain some rhythm.

One is the reigning Dakar Champion, five-time winner Cyril Despres. The Frenchman was second fastest Tuesday aboard the Red Bull Yamaha YZF450 Rally. Despres, who won his five titles aboard KTM machinery, finished 4 minutes 41 seconds behind Barreda.

Due to this performance, Despres jumped from eighth to second in the overall Dakar rankings after three of the 13 stages, which include a rest day at the mid-way point. Despres now trails Barreda by 13 minutes 4 seconds.

Also jumping in the overall rankings was Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma, who didn’t compete at last year’s Dakar Rally due to injury (shoulder) sustained at the 2013 Morocco Rally.

The three-time Dakar winner began Tuesday in fifth overall, but finished third overall, just 52 seconds behind his rival and former teammate Despres. Coma was strong throughout stage three, and finished third, 6 minutes 56 seconds behind Barreda.

Next up in the overall rankings is Samsung Sherco’s Alain Duclos, who finished fourth in stage three and trailes Barred by 16 minutes 38 seconds.

Finishing fifth in stage three was KTM’s David Casteu, with teammate Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez in sixth. But in the overall rankings, Lopez remains in fifth, 18 minutes 39 seconds, and is the final rider within 20 minutes of Barreda.

Due to injuries suffered in stage-three crashes, two known Dakar pilots have dropped out – KTM’s Ruben Faria and Yamaha’s Frans Verhoeven.

As for stage-two winner Sam Sunderland, the UK resident who is HRC Honda teammates with Barreda, he finished 75th Tuesday due to a huge navigational error. Overall, he is now 30th, 2 hours 30 minutes and 39 seconds behind Barreda.

Check out the stage-three action during the “Dakar Rally Series,” which will air on NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday. Monday’s stage-two review will air tonight at 5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. For the entire broadcast USA “Dakar Rally Series” schedule, click here.

2014 Dakar Rally Stage Three Quotes:

Joan “Bang Bang” Barreda Bort (Team HRC Honda CRF450 Rally) says: “Today was really unbelievable, the conditions were extreme by any means. After the stage started, I could soon pass Chaleco Lopez to follow Sam Sunderland in the riverbeds until he took a wrong turn.

“Opening the track, the uphill sections got more and more steep and extreme. In trial-type conditions I had to stay full-throttle in second gear to make the steepest sections and keep it all together to make it over the loose rolling stones. It was very exhausting in the high altitude and I needed to stay very calm to avoid mistakes.

“As I was over the highest point, the navigation downhill was getting very delicate, with many changes of directions and possibly wrong ways to follow on very steep trails. I stopped and made sure I was choosing the right way several times. Eventually it paid out to keep a cool head. The last part down in the valley was more easy and I put the hammer down again. I think today many riders will have extreme difficulties. I am happy I improved a lot my physical conditions training hard the last year.”

Cyril Despres (Red Bull Yamaha YZF 450 Rally) says: “The result doesn’t matter today. I had such a good time and enjoyed navigating and riding. The other good news is that I managed to come back well. I’m in the reckoning again. Yesterday, I fell. I don’t fall often and I don’t like it when that happens. It was a bit of a shock to the system. As for the stage, I set off in 10th position and three riders finished in front of me. I overtook Marc Coma around a dozen kilometres from the finishing line as well as David Casteu. It’s been a good day, but the road is still long…”

2014 Dakar Rally: A Look at Stage 4 (Wednesday, Jan. 8)

Stage 4 will take riders 350 miles from San Rafael to Chilecito (130-mile liaison, 219-mile special).

2014 Dakar Rally Stage Three Results:

2014 Dakar Rally Overall Results (after three of 13 stages):