News 20 Jan 2018

Price continues late Dakar charge with stage 13 win

Red Bull KTM's Walkner leads by over 20 minutes with one stage remaining.

Image: Supplied.

Australian gun Toby Price took another victory in the 2018 Dakar Rally on Friday, topping the penultimate 13th stage in commanding fashion.

The Red Bull KTM rider maintains third position in the provisional overall standings, 27m45s behind current leader Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM).

The longest of the rally, stage 13 proved a real test for the competitors comprising 483km of liaison with a two-part 424km timed special. The day required supreme endurance from the riders in order to get to the finish both quickly and safely.

One rider who had little choice but to push was Price. After losing time on stage 10 through a navigation error, he had to take every opportunity he could to make up time on the leaders. The 2016 winner won the stage over Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda) and Antoine Meo (Red Bull KTM) with Walkner fourth.

Second of the Aussies Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team) was 21st in stage and is 16th overall, while Scott Britnell’s (Grit Adventures KTM) 63rd place has him ranked 61st on combined times.

Today’s stage 14 marks the end of the 2018 Dakar Rally. Although short at only 286km in total, the stage will still prove difficult for competitors with a technical, timed special crossing approximately 30 rivers on route.

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