Loeb scores sixth consecutive win and touches Al-Attiyah Dakar

In the absence of the last special event, the sheikh leads Loeb at 1h21:42, this, yes, cemented the second position of the raiding general by moving away from the Brazilian Lucas Moraes (Toyota).

The penultimate part of 2023 Dakar with a 521 kilometer link between Shaybah and Al-Hofuf, 154 kilometers short specialalmost entirely where the dunes are the protagonist.

Stage adder -back-to-back this week and last Sunday- showed muscle againit had nothing to do with the problems he had in the early days of the oppression, and that left him no option to aspire to a Dakar on his track record that continued to resist him.

Taking advantage of Al-Attiyah’s situation, did not want to compromise his overall advantage to fight for partial victoriesAlsace again walked through the dunes.

Despite having to clear the track, he was 22 seconds ahead of the four-time endurance rally champion and 1:44 ahead of the Swede at the first checkpoint (km 34). Mattias Ekstrom the only survivor audi in Dakar, where it continues to get used to the sand and improve the car.

Lucas MoraesHe was already 3:12 behind, giving Loeb second place overall in the previous stage.

It was impossible to follow the pace of the nine-time world rally champion. Halfway through the stage, it was about two minutes ahead of Al-Attiyah and about four minutes ahead of Ekstrom, which had the same time as the Polish T4 (series modified vehicles). Erik Gozal, with spanish Oriol Mena as co-pilot.

Inside final waypoint, The picture is even clearer. Loeb dominated the overall leader with 3:14 and 4:56 against Ekstrom.

The French finished Dakar’s penultimate special event in 2:26:17. Although the track has been opened from start to finish, Received 4:28 from Al-Attiyah, one more minute penalty but stroking his fifth Touareg. Ekstrom entered at 6:31.

Maximum emotion on motorcycles

The classification of the stage and the overall classification of the Dakar 2023 motorcycles were turned upside down at the end of the penultimate stage, because after that Argentina Kevin Benavides Having stopped to help Austrian Matthias Walkner (KTM), (KTM), he got a 23:10 discount on time, won the special and will be 12 seconds behind the leading Australian on the final day. Toby Price (KTM).

In this unexpected turn, the man from Salta cut Price, who held the lead, by 2:28 and the American by 3:31. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 1:31 behind Aussie.

South Africa Michael Docherty (Husqvarna) had honey on her lips for the second time this Saturday. First, the youngest of the Benavides, Luciano (Husqvarna), beat his time at the finish, but was then given a one-minute penalty for speeding, which deprived him of his fourth partial victory. The rookie was the temporary winner until Kevin’s final time, which cured him by 27 seconds.

A short 154km special event starring almost entirely dunes, was Dakar’s penultimate challenge in the stage between them. Shaybah and Al-Hofuf, With a connection of 521 kilometers.

In it the American did not start Mason Klein Winning the second stage of the raid and experiencing two falls in the ninth time period (KTM).

Austrian Matthias Walker (KTM) had an accident at kilometer 55 and was admitted to hospital with conscious but back pain. Kevin Benavides stopped to help her and later recaptured the time she was with him.

The two who left were in the top 10 reached by the Spaniard. Lawrence Santolino (Sherco), who is ninth.

Chile nacho cornejo (Honda) opened the circuit after their first victory in the current edition of the Dakar, and then Australia’s Daniel Sanders (GasGas) and Price, who took the lead with just 28 seconds against Howes, who started in the penultimate stage. sixth

At the first checkpoint, at kilometer 34, Docherty, a scout in the Rally2 category – level two – set the best time and then the best time. benavides brothersLuciano (Husqvarna) with second (37 seconds) and Kevin (KTM) third (46 seconds).

In the lead duel, Howes improved Price’s duration by five seconds, but fifteen bonus

Passing the 78th kilometer, in the middle of the stage, Docherty was still ahead. willing to fight to win with the pros. The rookie had lost 48 seconds ahead of Luciano Benavides, who was aiming for a fourth stage victory, while he stopped to help his brother Walkner and lost by more than 24 minutes.

Howes and Price were tracking time, but the Australian accumulated more than half a minute of jackpot.

Luciano Benavides He pushed and reduced the gap to 17 seconds with Docherty at the final timeout. Another Rally2 driver, French Romain Dumontier, finished third in 2:02 and the Spaniard Tosha Schareina (GasGas), less than five minutes.

At the finish line, the Argentine from Husqvarna set the best time, 2h21:44, 30 seconds behind Docherty, but lost the stage after receiving a one-second penalty. Without this penalty, Luciano could have shortened his brother’s time by three seconds, who had finally won the victory.

French Adrien van Beveren (Honda) finished fourth in 2:05 and Schareina finished ninth in the Top 10 in 4:06, behind the winner. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) fell 10:34, but overall benefited from Walkner and Klein’s DNFs.

In the Dakar fight, Price maintained its lead thanks to bonuses (1:42) to open the track. He leads Kevin Benavides by 12 seconds and Howes by 1:31.