British rider Sam Sunderland took first stage for bikes in Dakar 2015. This makes him become first leader in general classification after this short special stage of just 175km long.

The young british rider, just 25 years old, started his third edition of Rally Dakar after two retirements in last editions. Yet last year surprised everyone when winning second stage, but had to retire for mechanic issues.

With an experience full of retirements, Sunderland is conscious that a long path is in front of him and finishes with humilty:

It’s so difficult to stablish an strategy in first stage when we still don’t know who is stronger. The bike responded perfectly, but we have to remind that we just ran 175 km and a long path is still left to the finish.

Favourites did not finish far away from him. Marc Coma, who is expected to leave the Dakar in one of the first positions, arrived with his KTM Nº1 1 minute 12 seconds after leader, and just with Sunderland and Gonçalves in front of him. Barreda, also favourite, was 29 seconds slower than catalan rider.

Jordi Viladoms, Coma’s team mate, lost much time in first stage. Rider from Igualada was four minutes slower than Sunderland and finished out of the TOP10. In TOP20, although, other catalan riders entered in, as Pedrero (15th), Sanz (17), Guasch (18) and Farrés (20).

 

 

Results:

 

Pos. Rider Team Time Gap Int
1 6 Sam Sunderland GBR KTM 1:18:57
2 7 Paulo Goncalves PRT HONDA 1:19:02 + 00:05
3 1 Marc Coma ESP KTM 1:20:09 + 01:12 + 01:07
4 2 Joan Barreda Bort ESP HONDA 1:20:38 + 01:41 + 00:29
5 14 Alain Duclos FRA SHERCO TVS 1:21:05 + 02:08 + 00:27
6 12 Jeremias Israel Esquerre CHL HONDA 1:21:13 + 02:16 + 00:08
7 9 David Casteu FRA KTM 1:21:33 + 02:36 + 00:20
8 27 Matthias Walkner AUT KTM 1:21:39 + 02:42 + 00:06
9 31 Pablo Quintanilla CHL KTM 1:21:55 + 02:58 + 00:16
10 11 Ruben Faria PRT KTM 1:21:59 + 03:02 + 00:04
11 26 Toby Price AUS KTM 1:22:28 + 03:31 + 00:29
12 5 Helder Rodrigues PRT HONDA 1:22:29 + 03:32 + 00:01
13 3 Olivier Pain FRA YAMAHA 1:22:31 + 03:34 + 00:02
14 4 Jordi Viladoms ESP KTM 1:22:42 + 03:45 + 00:11
15 10 Juan Pedrero Garcia ESP YAMAHA 1:23:27 + 04:30 + 00:45
16 22 Javier Pizzolito ARG HONDA 1:23:29 + 04:32 + 00:02
17 29 Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert ESP HONDA 1:23:43 + 04:46 + 00:14
18 30 Marc Guasch ESP YAMAHA 1:23:53 + 04:56 + 00:10
19 15 Frans Verhoeven NLD YAMAHA 1:24:11 + 05:14 + 00:18
20 23 Gerard Farres Guell ESP GASGAS 1:24:29 + 05:32 + 00:18
21 17 Michael Metge FRA YAMAHA 1:24:37 + 05:40 + 00:08
22 20 Riaan Van Niekerk ZAF KTM 1:24:51 + 05:54 + 00:14
23 18 Stefan Svitko SVK KTM 1:24:52 + 05:55 + 00:01
24 21 Ivan Jakes SVK KTM 1:24:53 + 05:56 + 00:01
25 33 Claudio Rodriguez CHL KTM 1:25:15 + 06:18 + 00:22
26 25 Fabien Planet FRA SHERCO TVS 1:25:29 + 06:32 + 00:14
27 19 Alessandro Botturi ITA YAMAHA 1:25:32 + 06:35 + 00:03
28 24 Jean De Azevedo BRA HONDA 1:25:33 + 06:36 + 00:01
29 28 Juan Carlos Salvatierra BOL KTM 1:26:25 + 07:28 + 00:52
30 34 David Pabiska CZE KTM 1:26:36 + 07:39 + 00:11
31 8 Jakub Przygonski POL KTM 1:26:50 + 07:53 + 00:14
32 120 Gustavo Bassi ARG YAMAHA 1:27:32 + 08:35 + 00:42
33 16 Daniel Gouet CHL HONDA 1:28:20 + 09:23 + 00:48
34 32 Paolo Ceci ITA KTM 1:28:31 + 09:34 + 00:11
35 37 Hans Vogels NLD KTM 1:28:35 + 09:38 + 00:04
36 35 Miran Stanovnik SVN KTM 1:28:36 + 09:39 + 00:01
37 60 Patricio Cabrera CHL KAWASAKI 1:28:47 + 09:50 + 00:11
38 62 Romain Souvignet FRA KTM 1:28:48 + 09:51 + 00:01
39 160 Ondrej Klymciw CZE KTM 1:28:49 + 09:52 + 00:01
40 44 Xavier De Soultrait FRA YAMAHA 1:29:56 + 10:59 + 01:07
41 45 Bruno Da Costa FRA YAMAHA 1:29:56 + 10:59
42 36 Jakub Piatek POL KTM 1:30:02 + 11:05 + 00:06
43 38 Thomas Berglund SWE KTM 1:30:22 + 11:25 + 00:20
44 46 Mauricio Javier Gomez ARG YAMAHA 1:30:42 + 11:45 + 00:20
45 53 Michael Pisano FRA KTM 1:31:08 + 12:11 + 00:26
46 39 Robert Van Pelt NLD YAMAHA 1:31:21 + 12:24 + 00:13
47 49 Emanuel Gyenes ROU KTM 1:31:25 + 12:28 + 00:04
48 47 Daniel Oliveras Carreras ESP GASGAS 1:31:41 + 12:44 + 00:16
49 88 Franck Verhoestraete COG SHERCO 1:33:12 + 14:15 + 01:31
50 48 Felipe Rios PER KTM 1:33:23 + 14:26 + 00:11