After the dispute of the third stage of the Atacama Rally, featuring a 259.27-kilometre timed special, Monster Energy Honda Team rider Kevin Benavides, remains firmly in the podium zone with good prospects of an overall win.

The Atacama Rally has reached its halfway point with the dispute of the third stage. Today, despite an hour and a half delay due to the morning fog, participants finally got away and had to tackle a total of 335.17 kilometres on the looping Copiapó route, which took riders to Ojos del Salado during the 259.27-kilometre special. The terrain covered several kilometres of dunes plus faster track and dry river beds.

The riders of the Monster Energy Honda Team earned satisfactory results, with Kevin Benavides taking third place in the special leaving the Argentinean in second overall spot on the race leader board, 4’56” behind the leader, with two days still to run. Kevin again opened the track from the start to the finish of the special.

Paulo Gonçalves has improved from the previous days and finished one minute behind his team-mate, in fourth position. The sixth best time of the day was for José Ignacio Cornejo and Ricky Brabec posted ninth on the day.

Tomorrow sees the fourth stage of this Atacama Rally. After starting out in Copiapó, pilots will make a loop through Chañaral and Caldera before heading back to Copiapó. The total course will be 371.39 kilometres including 253.54 kilometres against the clock.

Kevin Benavides 2

STAGE: 3rd OVERALL: 2nd

I felt very good today. I opened the track from the beginning to the end, which is now over 550 kilometres opening the Atacama Rally. It has been a great experience and the sensations have been very positive. I pushed hard and tried to avoid getting time deducted in the general. Now I’ll have to try to make up some time in the general and stay focused over these next two stages.

Paulo Goncalves 4

STAGE: 4th OVERALL: 7th

It was a stage with lots of sand and dunes. I did a lot better despite getting lost at kilometre 75 which meant that I dropped quite a bit of time. I keep on improving and managed to keep up a similar pace to the front-runners. The bike is going well and I hope to continue attacking over the next two days.

Ricky Brabec 11

STAGE: 9th OVERALL: 8th

We’ve finished stage three. Today was another fast day, not so much for the navigation but the only part that was tricky was going over tracks that we’d been over in the last few days. Unfortunately ten kilometres from the finish I got turned around and had trouble finding a waypoint which I thought was over to one side. Kind of a bad for me but I feel good riding and hopefully over the next two days we can get some time back and stay healthy for the Ruta 40.

Private: José Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo 15

STAGE: 6th OVERALL: 11th

The third stage is out of the way and with better sensations on the bike. I finished sixth and I'm still eleventh overall, close to the riders in front of me. Tomorrow I will go out there looking for the same sensations that I have had today, with a positive attitude.

2018 Cross-Country Rallies
Stage Round FIM-3 , Stage 3   Chile

Results Stage 3

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Quintanilla Pablo CHI Husqvarna Factory Rally Team Husqvarna 2:57'40
2 Sunderland Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +3'46
3 Benavides Kevin 2 ARG Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +6'49
4 Goncalves Paulo 4 POR Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +7'47
5 Price Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +7'55
6 Cornejo José Ignacio "Nacho" 15 CHI Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +9'37
7 Caimi Franco ARG Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +11'15
8 Van Beveren Adrien FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +12'33
9 Brabec Ricky 11 USA Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +13'08
10 Walkner Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +16'08
11 de Soultrait Xavier FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +16'35
12 Short Andrew 12 USA Husqvarna Factory Rally Team Husqvarna +18'35
13 Mena Oriol 14 SPA Hero Motorsports Team Rally Hero +18'51
14 De Gavardo Tomás 20 CHI De Gavardo Team KTM +30'12
15 Giemza Maciej 19 POL Orlen Team KTM +31'53
2018 Cross-Country Rallies
Stage Round FIM-3 , Stage 3   Chile

Provisional standings after Stage 3

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Quintanilla Pablo CHI Husqvarna Factory Rally Team Husqvarna 9:32'12
2 Benavides Kevin 2 ARG Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +4'56
3 Price Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +12'06
4 Sunderland Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +21'45
5 Walkner Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +21'57
6 Caimi Franco ARG Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +22'02
7 Goncalves Paulo 4 POR Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +25'00
8 Brabec Ricky 11 USA Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +28'35
9 Van Beveren Adrien FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +34'26
10 de Soultrait Xavier FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +40'52
11 Cornejo José Ignacio "Nacho" 15 CHI Monster Energy Honda HRC Honda +43'48
Location Information

The 2019 edition of the Atacama Rally will offer its competitors a high-level sports rally, challenging the incredible dunes of the Atacama Desert. An open challenge for all and especially for those competing for the third round of the FIM Cross-Country World Rally Championship in the category of motorcycles and… read more.

Copiapó, Chile - View in Google Maps