Australia's Toby Price is second overall after an eventful Stage 5 of the 2023 Dakar Rally in which he crashed after being lost early.
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Price finished third on the stage three minutes and 56 seconds behind Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren, who won the stage by 17 seconds from his Monster Energy Honda teammate Chile's Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo.
However, the wear and tear of the race has started to tell on fellow Aussie Daniel Sanders (Red Bull GasGas) who went from overnight leader to eight overall after finishing almost 27 minutes behind the stage winner.
In other news
Price, formerly of the Hunter Valley, was flipped off his bike when Spain's Joan Berreda Bort crashed heavily in front of him while trying to pass him
The two-time Dakar champion spent five minutes with Barreda to ensure he was OK and also lost a few minutes earlier in the stage when when he was one of several riders to lose their way.
But his stage time of four hours, 31 minutes and 24 seconds was enough to lift him three places in the overall standing and he is now second, two minutes and seven seconds behind leader new leader American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) who was fifth on stage five.
Price said he didn't have time to avoid Barreda whose bike flipped after hitting 'camel' grass.
"Barreda had a crash in front of us and I ended up hitting him, more his bike... I'm not sure, I pretty much shut my eyes," he said.
"The bike went flipping right in front of me and cleaned me out, it was a good get-off for both of us.
"He's here at the finish and he continued on, but he was on the ground for a little bit, so we stopped for him for about five or six minutes.
"It was a tough stage. We got lost a little bit this morning. We lost a little bit more time there.
"All in all, it's not been a bad stage. I don't think we've lost so much time.
"There's still plenty more racing to go yet. We'll just get back to the bivouac, have a look at this shoulder and get it all sorted for the next day."
TOP 10 AFTER STAGE 5
- Skyler Howes (USA)
- Toby Price (Aus) +2m07s
- Kevin Benavides (Arg) +5m16s
- Mason Klein (USA) +6m12s
- Adrien Van Beveren (Fra) +8m54
- Joan Barreda Bort (Esp) +9m24s
- Pablo Quintanilla (Chl) +10m26s
- Daniel Sanders (Aus) +17m50s
- Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Chl) +22m04s
- Luciano Benavides (Esp) +25m03s
Previously
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
