Price wins first big stage of 2017 Dakar Rally

Australia's defending Dakar Rally champion Toby Price has hit top gear in the second stage of the 2017 event in South America, winning the 803km leg by nearly four minutes over Portugal's Paulo Goncalves (Honda).

The stage took riders from the Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucuman, of which 275km of the 803km was timed.

2017 DAKAR RESULTS

Price started the day in 17th place after a cautious start in the short stage one, which was only 39km long. In stage two, he had taken the lead by the first checkpoint on his 450 Rally and then stayed in control through to the finish. Price's teammate Matthias Walkner settled into second place and rode out the race in that position, but then got hit with a five-minute penalty afterwards, bumping Goncalves and Frenchman Xavier De Soultrant (Yamaha) up into second and third.

Price said: “Today was a whole different day. There was a lot of speed; a lot of fast roads and it was really dusty. We also had to deal with a lot of animals.

"It wasn’t a tricky day in navigation but you can’t put a cow in the road book and it becomes difficult when they are popping out at you. But it’s good to get to the finish with this heat.”

In the overall standings, Price holds a two-minute and 54-second (2:54) lead over Goncalves, followed by Sam Sunderland (KTM, 3:23), De Soultrant (3:41) and Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna, 4:26).

Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha, 8:50) is the best of the other Aussies in 13th position, and was 10th in stage two.

"It's been an up and down day for me so to get a spot inside the top 10 feels like a great achievement," said Faggotter. "I suffered a high-speed crash early in the morning, but managed to recover quickly and kept pushing. Soon after my fall I started getting a good feeling on my WR450F Rally.

"Conditions reminded me a lot of what I'm used to back home in Australia and that was surely an advantage today. It was dusty, warm and fast in some sections, so I kept plugging away and got to the end of the special feeling great. We're now less than 10 minutes behind the provisional leader so we know anything can happen in the next few stages. I'll keep doing my best for myself and for the team."

The Dakar field is currently traveling west in Argentina, and stage two them almost to the north-south spine of the Andes. On Wednesday (stage three) they turn north and follow the line of the mountains to San Salvador de Jujuy for another 780km, including a 364km timed special that organisers have promised will include difficult navigation.

Results stage two (Resistencia - San Miguel de Tucumán: 275km timed, 803km total)
1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 2:37:32 h
2. Paulo Goncalves (POR), Honda, +3:51 min
3. Xavier De Soultrant (FRA), Yamaha, +4:06
4. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, +4:19
5. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, +4:48

Standings after two of 12 stages
1. Price, 3:07:17
2. Goncalves, +2:54
3. Sunderland, +3:23
4. De Soultrant, +3:41
5. Quintanilla, +4:26