Dakar Rally 2016 Stage 6 Results
For the third time of Dakar Rally 2016, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team’s Toby Price earned a stage win. The Australian’s third stage victory arrived Friday during Dakar Rally 2016 Stage 6.
Due to his performance, Price was able to move within 35 seconds of the overall leader, Team HRC Honda CRF450 Rally pilot Paulo Goncalves of Portugal. Price has now won three of six stages with seven remaining, including Thursday’s Dakar Rally Stage 5.
Price completed the longest-timed special of the 2016 Dakar Rally (337 miles of 450 total) in five hours, 51 minutes and 48 seconds. The stage took riders on a loop from and to Uyuni (Bolivia), which also skirted along the western side of the famed Uyuni saltpans. Rain altered the original plans to send riders across the saltpans.
Finishing only five seconds behind in Dakar Rally 2016 Stage 6 was Price’s teammate, Matthias Walkner of Austria. Earning third was Goncalves.
Toby Price says: “It was a good day, a long day on the bike but we got through the stage really well. We slowed down at the times we had to navigate, and that’s the first time I’ve led from start to finish. We’re sitting in a good position and it’s a good fight.”
Speaking of the high altitudes, Price says “It takes a bit of power out of the bike (because of the thinner air) but it’s the same with everyone’s, also with the cars. But for me, I’m doing well with the altitude, and the body’s holding up well. Also the bike. We’re looking after it pretty well and we’re keen, so I’m looking forward to the second week.”
Matthias Walkner also commented: “At the beginning it wasn’t perfect. I was in the dust of two riders for 160km. Then I was able to pass them and I found a super rhythm. It was a very tough, long stage, particularly the last 50-80km, also because we were at a very high altitude. But in the end it was a super day for me.”
Following Dakar Rally 2016 Stage 6, Goncalves leads Price by 35 seconds. In third, 2 minutes 50 seconds behind, is Walkner.
As for American’s Ricky Brabec, the rookie Dakar pilot put in his best finish to date aboard the Team HRC Honda CRF450 Rally– seventh, which jumped him to 14th overall in the rankings: “Today the stage was really, really fast, a lot faster than I like to go actually. It wasn’t only fast but it was super-dusty. Starting 24th, over the first 150-200 kilometers I was in the dust just hanging out. At the first refueling I was closer to the people in front of me. I was playing it safe all day, riding consistently. I made a mistake in the dust on a stony corner. The front wheel just washed out on me and I laid the bike over. Other than that, the stage was good… good and dangerous! So, I’m happy to be here again and we can go again tomorrow.”
Saturday’s stage 7 consists of 493 miles, with 219 timed.
Dakar Rally 2016 Stage 7 Terrain:
Stage seven is another long day with a total of 793km and 353km under the clock. Riders leave Uyuni, where they have had a rapturous welcome from the Bolivian fans, and return to Argentina to finish at the city of Salta. They will face a number of river crossings made more difficult because of the amount of rain that has been falling recently. Sunday is the one rest day on this epic 9,000 km journey, a chance for teams to service machinery and for riders to draw a resume of their race performance so far (courtesy of KTM).
Dakar Rally 2016 Stage 6 Results (top five):
1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 5 hours 51 minutes 48 seconds
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, + 1 minute 5 seconds
3. Paolo Goncalves (POR), Honda, + 01.12
4. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, + 4.44
5. Helder Rodrigues (POR), Yamaha, + 5.23
Dakar Rally 2016 Overall Results after Stage 5:
1. Goncalves 20 hours 23 minutes 7 seconds
2. Price + 0.35
3. Walkner + 02.50
4. Svitko + 05.17
5. Quintanilla + 15.10