Atacama Rally, Stage 4: Walkner Wins One

KTM’s Matthias Walkner makes a critical move to the lead with one day left in the Atacama Rally.

September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 Scott Rousseau

Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner makes a critical move to the lead with one day left in the Atacama Rally.

Shown here during Stage 3, Matthias Walkner handily won Stage 4 of the Atacama Rally in Chile today and assumed a critical overall lead with one stage left. PHOTO BY RALLYZONE BAUER/BARNI.

The seesaw battle for the overall lead in the 2015 Atacama Rally took another swing in Chile today, as Red Bull KTM’s former World Motocross Champion-turned-rally-racer, Matthias Walkner of Austria, stepped up and took the win in Stage 4, putting himself into the overall lead with just one stage remaining.

Walkner, who won the 2013 FIM MX3 Motocross World Championship in 2013, put together a strong ride in the 378.44-kilometer stage that sent the competitors through the desert to Huasco, and he was the quickest rider on the clock, finishing with a special stage time of 3 hours, 2 minutes and 20 seconds. That time was good enough to vault him back past KTM Warsaw Rally’s Pablo Quintanilla, who finished 4 minutes and 30 seconds behind Walkner and thus saw his rally lead dissipate. Quintanilla now trails Walkner by 2 minutes and 27 seconds with tomorrow’s stage to be the rally decider.

Pablo Quintanilla lost the overall lead after finishing second in Stage 4. Time will tell whether or not he can comeback in tomorrow's final stage and pull off the win in his home country, PHOTO BY RALLYZONE BAUER/BARNI. — Pablo Quintanilla lost the overall lead after finishing second in Stage 4. Time will tell whether or not he can comeback in tomorrow’s final stage and pull off the win in his home country, PHOTO BY RALLYZONE BAUER/BARNI.

Thick morning mist that dominates the desert region of Atacama led to a delayed start of Stage 4. Team HRC’s Paulo Goncalves once again led off the start after the riders got away an hour later than the scheduled start time. The demanding stage was a demanding one that included a 30-kilometer area of dunes and some fast two-track sections.

Great Britain’s Sam Sunderland followed Walkner and Quintanilla on the time sheet, posting a 3:05:32 to leave him 6 minutes and 14 seconds out of the lead and in a good position if he can avoid trouble on the final day. The rally win will likely be decided among Walkner, Quintanilla and Sunderland.

Tomorrow’s final special stage will total about 100 kilometers and finish in La Serena.

Sam Sunderland finished third in Stage 4 and now stands a very good chance of finishing at least third overall in the Atacama Rally. PHOTO BY RALLYZONE BAUER/BARNI.

2015 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship
2015 Atacama Rally
Atacama, Chile
Results: August 4, 2015 (Round 5 of 6)

Stage 4
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-KTM/3 hours 2 minutes, 20 seconds
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-KTM/+00:04:30
3. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:03:12
4. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon//+00:09:53
5. Toby Price (AUS)-KTM/+00:03:12
6. Jordi Viladoms (SPA)-KTM/+00:16:35
7. Jeremias Israel (CHI)-Hon/+00:17:05
8. Felipe Prohens (CHI)-Pro/+00:24:00
9. Antoine Meo (FRA)-KTM/+00:27:58
10. Mohammed Albalooshi (UAE)-KTM/+00:39:10

2015 Atacama Rally Overall Standings (After 4 of 5 stages)
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-KTM/9 hours, 16 minutes, 15 seconds
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-KTM/+00:02:27
3. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:06:14
4. Jordi Viladoms (SPA)-KTM/+00:21:37
5. Daniel Gouet (CHI)-KTM/+00:33:08
6. Jeremias Israel (CHI)-Hon/+00:45:33
7. Felipe Prohens (CHI)-Pro/+00:55:22
8. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:58:24
9. Mohammed Albalooshi (UAE)-KTM/+01:23:49
10. José Cornejo (CHI)-Suz/+01:26:06

Atacama Rally, Stage 4: Walkner Wins One

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