Stage five of the grueling Dakar Rally saw Singleton’s Toby Price finish in seventh place, 15 minutes behind the eventual winner, Spaniard Joan Barreda.
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The Honda rider made full use of his ninth starting position to build a four minute lead by the first waypoint, and after that he was never headed.
Barreda’s final margin of victory over KTM’s Matthias Walkner stood at 10 min 26 sec.
According to the official website, the fifth and final stage in Peru was just like the ones that preceded it –hellish.
The Tacna region and its mountainous dunes showed no mercy, but the competitors got to take a breather with a stretch on the beach prior to the long transfer to Arequipa.
However, overall Price remains in sixth place behind race leader Yamaha’s Adrien van Beveren (14h 37m 40s).
The next stage of the race will see the Dakar leave Peru and the desert, to take on the mountains in Bolivia.
During Stage 6 (Arequipa/La Paz) the route becomes faster, barely leaving enough time for a peek at the many lakes along the way.
The second timed section will start on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
The Bolivian Altiplano requires competitors and crews to adjust to racing at an altitude of 2,500 metres.
The day off in the capital, La Paz, will help them acclimatise.
The 40th edition of the Dakar, the 10th to be held in South America, will finish in Argentina.
MOTORCYCLE CATEGORY STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 5:
1. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) 14h 37m 40s
2. Kevin Benavides (Honda) +1m 00s
3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) +1m 14s
4. Joan Barreda (Honda) +7m 33s
5. Xavier de Soultrait (Yamaha) +7m 42s
6. Toby Price (KTM) +10m 39s
7. Antoine Meo (KTM) +12m 12s
8. Gerard Farres (KTM) +15m 24s
9. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) +16m 12s
10. Ricky Brabec (Honda) +25m 48s
