Loeb eats into Al-Attiyah’s lead at Dakar
RIYADH: Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb won Monday’s second stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia to trim Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah’s overall lead to just over nine minutes.
The 47-year-old Frenchman finished three minutes and 28 seconds ahead of the Toyota driver, who won Saturday’s prologue and Sunday’s first stage but had to go first and clear the way on Monday’s 338km timed stage from Ha’il to Al Qaisumah.
“Nasser was pushing very hard. He was opening the road for the cars but still he was really fast. We had to push like in WRC [World Rally Championship] for almost 340km,” said Loeb.
“At the end I caught him, so I was able to follow him through the dunes.”
The overnight bivouac was moved from Al Artawiya due to heavy rain, with a planned marathon stage cancelled.
The electric Audis of triple champion Carlos Sainz and 14-time Dakar winner Stephane Peterhansel finished Monday’s stage third and fourth respectively after a nightmare Sunday wrecked their overall chances.
Defending champion Peterhansel, nicknamed “Mr Dakar” for his success in the event on two wheels and four, was 23 hours behind triple champion Al-Attiyah after his car was sidelined with a smashed rear axle.
The Frenchman blamed the incident on a rock stuck between the chassis and a wheel and said his main focus now was to gather data and help his teammates.
“Now, we are going to try to win some specials and put the car to the test, to prepare for next year in reality,” said Peterhansel.
Britain’s Sam Sunderland took over the lead in the motorcycle category from Australian GasGas teammate Daniel Sanders, who lost his way and finished 23rd in the stage to drop to third overall.
Spaniard Joan Barreda won the stage on a Honda.
The Dakar, now in its 44th edition, is the first major motorsport event of the year and one of the most dangerous and gruelling.
It started in 1978 as a race from Paris to the Senegalese capital but moved from Africa to South America for safety reasons in 2009. It is now held entirely in Saudi Arabia.