Al-Attiyah claims third stage at Dakar
JEDDAH: Qatari driver Nasser al-Attiyah won the third stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, holding off the challenge of French arch-rival and overall leader Stephane Peterhansel.
The three-time winner of the Dakar sped through a 403km loop around Wadi ad-Dawasir, the gateway to the Empty Quarter, a vast sand desert that covers much of the southern Arabian Peninsula, in 3hr 17min and 39sec to take the victory.
Already winner of the prologue and Monday’s second stage, Al-Attiyah finished 2:27 ahead of Toyota teammate Henk Lategan of South Africa.
“I’m quite happy,” said Al-Attiyah, also an Olympic bronze medallist in the skeet at the 2012 London Games.
“Today we really pushed a lot and Mathieu [Baumel, co-pilot] did the navigation well. Everything is working very well like we need it to.
“I’m really quite happy with the pace, because to open and to win the stage
is good.”
Peterhansel, a 13-time Dakar winner, consolidated his lead in the overall
standings with a third-placed finish, 4:05 off the pace.
The day’s big loser was defending champion and Peterhansel’s fellow Mini driver Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard losing his way at the 156km mark and straying 2km off course.
Sainz eventually finished the stage in 21st position and now stands fourth in the overall standings, more than 33 minutes off Peterhansel.
RESULTS Third stage
1. Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel (QAT/FRA/Toyota) 3hr 17min 39sec; 2. Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (RSA/RSA/Toyota) at 2:27; 3. Stephane Peterhansel/ Edouard Boulanger (FRA/FRA/Mini) 4:05; 4. Yasir Seaidan/Alexey Kuzmich (KSA/RUS/Century) 7:09; 5. Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi/Xavier Panseri (UAE/FRA/ Peugeot) 12:31
OVERALL STANDINGS
1. Stephane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger (FRA/ FRA/Mini) 10hr 39min 02sec; 2. Nasser Al-Attiyah/ Mathieu Baumel (QAT/FRA/Toyota) at 5:09; 3. Mathieu Serradori/Fabian Lurquin (FRA/BEL/Century) 26:21;
4. Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (ESP/ESP/Mini) 33:34; 5. Jakub Przygonski/Timo Gottschalk (POL/GER/Toyota) 44:22.