"The real rally has begun"

Dakar 2019 | Stage 3 | San Juan de Marcona > Arequipa
January 9 ^th 2019 - 13:17 [GMT -5]

Xavier de Soultrait shone in a special that stymied several favourites to claim his first Dakar stage win. The Yamaha rider took the third special of the rally with fifteen seconds to spare over Pablo Quintanilla.

"It was a hard stage because the fog reduced visibility to under two metres. I've started the rally cautiously, as planned, and today I won the stage. It's awesome. It was the first stage with serious navigation, the real rally has begun. Tomorrow comes the marathon stage. I'll be opening the road, it won't be easy. I want to make it to the rest day in top shape."