Austrian rider Matthias Walkner stole the lead from Pablo Quintanilla, setting a gap of 1 minute and 15 seconds that the Chilean rider must overcome tomorrow in the 103 km of timed section tomorrow, during the Atacama Rally’s final stage.
Stage 4 of the Atacama Rally, valid for the fifth round of the Cross Country Rally World Championship joined Copiapo and Huasco in Northern Chile. The stage concluded with the victory of Matthias Walkner in bikes, Rafal Sonik in quads. In the overall standings, Walkner took the lead and Ignacio Casale keeps his advantage on quads.
Tomorrow’s stage will have obstacles such as dried rivers, dunes, and very technical sections that would add pressure to victory fight. Bikes are required to mark 37 waypoints and there is no room for mistakes as the gap between Quintanilla and Walkner is only 1 minute and 15 seconds, and only 6 minutes 18 seconds away is now third Sam Sunderland, all riders adding points to the FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship.
“The stage was very complicated and hard up to km 90 because of navigation. Then, after refueling, I started to open the road with the result you know, so tomorrow will be a decisive journey and I will go after the victory,” said Quintanilla, who has obtained the Atacama Rally crown twice and his mind is set in a third consecutive win.
Another rival that will play at his best will be Spanish rider Jordi Viladoms (KTM), who won yesterday and was seventh in today’s stage, stepping up to the 4th place overall. “It was hard to open the road, but at the refueling I was taken over. I also feel thankful for the judges that reviewed time and allowed me to move to a higher position in the standings as there was a mistake with time penalties.”
Chilean rider Ignacio Casale (Yamaha) is still the lead in quads, 14 minutes and 7 seconds ahead of Dakar 2015 champion Rafal Sonik. “Today’s second place in the stage was not surprising, is strategy. My goal was that tomorrow Sonik would be in charge of opening the road and it will be done that way. My point is to ensure keeping the leadership even through the stage was very hard with dunes and very beautiful. The truth is that I am glad and calm because things have worked out,” said Casale.
Tomorrow, stage 5 will take place between Huasco and La Serena/Coquimbo with a total of 249 km out of which 103 will be timed and define the winners of the Atacama Rally 2015.
OVERALL STANDINGS
Bikes
1° (9) Matthias Walkner (Austria/KTM) 9 hora 36 minutos 37 segundos
2° (3) Pablo Quintanilla (Chile/KTM) 9:37’52”
3° (5) Sam Sunderland (UK/KTM) 9:42’55”
Quads
1° (102) Ignacio Casale (Chile/Yamaha) 11:07’14”
2° (100) Rafal Sonik (Polland/Yamaha) 11:21’21”
3° (101) Mauro Almeida (Uruguay/Yamaha) 48:53’20”
RESULTS: STAGE 4 / Copiapó – Huasco
Bikes
1° (9) Matthias Walkner (Austria/KTM) 3:02’42”
2° (3) Pablo Quintanilla (Chile/KTM) 3:04’42”
3° (5) Sam Sunderland (UK/KTM) 3:07’16”
Quads
1° (100) Rafal Sonik (Polland/Yamaha) 3:43’15”
2° (102) Ignacio Casale (Chile/Yamaha) 3:45’50”
3° (101) Mauro Almeida (Uruguay/Yamaha) 25:00’00”
www.atacamarally.com