Mini - Hummer - Toyota: The classification after three stages in the Dakar

It was expected domination Team X-Raid Mini Countryman and its All-4 on the 2012 edition of Rally Raid Dakar which began Sunday. But after three stages, which in the Sierra Nevada in Argentina, the positions at the top of the hierarchy are tighter than ever.

In the overall standings, one finds the Polish driver Krystof Holowczyk (co-pilot Belgium's Jean-Marc Fortin) on Mini. It is followed only 54 seconds by American Robby Gordon and demonstrated throughout the competitiveness of his Hummer H3. The South African Giniel De Villiers is third, one minute forty seconds behind the leader, with his Toyota Hilux. It is a surprise to find this Toyota pickup among the contenders to victory, amid Mini and Hummer, designated favorites.

But the Dakar 2012 is still young, with three stages and one country visit. There are still ten days of competition for the competitors who will come after tomorrow in Peru, for very difficult timed stages made of deserts and of course altitude.