The second racing day turned out to be a failure for Airat Mardeev, who was leading the truck standings. His KAMAZ was driving along the edge of a dried-up riverbed when the soil under the wheels collapsed, and the vehicle rolled over, landing on its roof.
Mardeev managed to reach the finish, and there the mechanics were able to repair the truck in time for the start of the third speed section. However, just before leaving, a malfunction of the satellite navigation was discovered, forcing Mardeev's crew to stop fighting.
On the third special stage, Argentine Marcos Patronelli, who had been the leader among quad riders, came within a hair's breadth of death. On the mountain track, the quad stopped obeying the pilot and plunged into a 400-meter-deep gorge. Patronelli managed to jump out of the vehicle at the last moment, which saved his life.
The third stage also did not go well for Stéphane Peterhansel, who had won the Dakar eleven times. That day he punctured six tires, and as a result lost the lead in the car class, dropping to fifth place in the overall standings.
