On January 7, the third stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally will be fiercely contested. In the car group, the 57-year-old Spanish legendary driver Sainz took the lead to complete the race, not only successfully won the 33rd stage championship in his career, but also took the lead in the overall score list.
The third stage of the day was about 489 kilometers in length. Sainz, who had won the championship twice, completed the race on behalf of the mini team with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes and 01 seconds, leading the defending champion of the event and Qatari driver Atti who drove a Toyota car. Sub 3 minutes and 31 seconds. Sainz’s teammate, Polish driver Prigonski, was third. Former F1 champion Alonso, who suffered an accident in the second stage, finished fifth. Geely Auto Shell Lubricants Team No. 322 Chinese car team Han Wei/Liao Min broke through many obstacles and finished the third stage in 26th place in 4 hours, 34 minutes and 31 seconds.
In the overall score list, Sainz rose to the first place with the victory of the day, followed by Attia with 4 minutes and 55 seconds behind. Chinese driver Han Wei is currently ranked 21st and Alonso is ranked 32nd.
The drivers suffered a lot from the gravel in the second stage, and the situation in the third stage was even worse. Gravel and stones run through the special stage all the time, which is undoubtedly a danger that the racers have to face, and they must be careful when speeding up.
Regarding the third stage, Han Wei said: “Compared with yesterday, the situation is better today. We have always maintained a good mentality. There are some overtaking situations today, but we still strive to be safe. Many routes are very complicated. I got lost for a few short periods, so I was a little slower when I got out of the finish line. Overall, the rhythm is still well controlled, and we want to save this momentum for the desert.”
After three consecutive days of fast-paced combat, the Saudi version of the Dakar Rally did not give the drivers too much respite. After a special stage of more than 400 kilometers, the fourth stage will usher in a longer and more exciting stage. Tough competition.
The fourth stage is from Niem to Al Ula, the total length of the stage is 676 kilometers, of which the special stage is increased to 452 kilometers. During the day’s schedule, riders will find a fair proportion of sand and gravel on most of the track. The stage route will pass through the Nabataean Temple, and the scenery will be very magnificent, but I think no matter how beautiful the scenery is, it cannot match the cheers at the end.
For Chinese drivers, Han Wei/Liao Min finished the race in 26th place, ranking 21st overall. The stage rankings of several other Chinese drivers are as follows:
No. 25: No. 379 Zhong Lei/Chen Feng (Dragon World Team)
No. 48: No. 362 Jin Jianyun/Ma Wenke (Hard Tiger Racing Club)
No. 54: No. 373 Zhao Yuqiao/Yan Ke (Qian’an Jiujiang Road Aviation Team)
No. 59: No. 363 Ruan Quan/Wang Yirong (Qian’an Jiujiang Road Aviation Team)
No. 68: No. 340 Li Aidong/Shen Chaoyang (Qian’an Jiujiang Road Aviation Team)
In the SSV group: No. 401 driver Gerard Farres Guell won the fastest stage.
No. 405 driver Casey Currie leads the overall score.
