Dakar 2023: Al-Attiyah, Sainz, and Beveren lead after dramatic fifth stage

Train Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota) transformed his anger into a hard-won triumph during the 5th stage of the Dakar Rally, where Carlos Sainz emerged as the overall leader with a time advantage of 1:57 at Ha’il’s stronghold, reshaping the standings around the current champion.

On Wednesday, the sheikh voiced strong criticism of the W2RC Committee’s decision to enforce Technology Equivalence (EoT) and to grant Audi an extra 8 kilowatts of power (11 hp), a change that affected Sainz among others. In the sandy stage, the Toyota driver claimed the first stage where the modification was applied.

Spanish rider Laia Sanz (Astara) was involved in an accident without injuries, though her car later suffered extensive damage after a brief special stage of only 28 kilometers. She had delivered a remarkable result, finishing twentieth on Wednesday’s fourth stage.

Laia Sanz had a serious accident in Dakar

Toyota had cautioned about the controversial FIA decision from the outset. South African Henk Lategan set the best time at the first checkpoint (km 37) driving a Toyota, while Stephane Peterhansel (Audi) trailed by two seconds, Al-Attiyah by three, and Sainz by nine seconds behind the Qatar native.

The initial leader ceded the top spot at the 90th kilometer as Peterhansel took the lead, 20 seconds ahead of the defending champion and 35 seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Sebastian Loeb (Prodrive) sat just six seconds behind Sainz after securing a rare Dakar victory the previous day.

⚠️ Watch my name #Dakar2023 pic.twitter.com/7sFNInxrSK

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 5, 2023

Loeb overtook Sainz and Al-Attiyah at the 140th kilometer, but the lead remained tightly contested, with Peterhansel holding the advantage by 42 seconds among the top four.

The Audi driver relinquished the lead after an 182-kilometer special, with Loeb intent on securing a second consecutive Dakar title, though the race remained fiercely contested. The top three were separated by seven seconds, with Sainz a further 1:04 behind Al-Attiyah for Madrid’s driver.

There was a relay-style shift at the 210-kilometer mark. Al-Attiyah later shaved ten seconds off the nine-time World Rally Champion’s time. Peterhansel dropped 22 seconds, and Sainz trailed the leader by 1:34.

Streets whenever I’m late for work. #Dakar2023 pic.twitter.com/B0YgSkhKSQ

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 5, 2023

The Toyota driver extended his lead as he crossed the distance with two followers close behind, yet all within striking distance. Sainz reduced the gap by two seconds.

The sheikh solidified his position at the second-to-last crossing, with Loeb 35 seconds back and Peterhansel a further six seconds behind a Madrid-based rival who was eager to rejoin the fray at 1:17.

Sainz intensified his efforts with under 50 kilometers remaining, shaving time from Loeb and Peterhansel and narrowing the gap to Al-Attiyah. He moved within 12 seconds as he approached the final segments.

In the final stretch, Loeb’s Prodrive car faced a pause of fifteen minutes, a setback for the Alsatian in this Dakar edition.

@SebastienLoeb He was driving for the podium but crashed in the last kilometers and had to change wheels, losing about 20 minutes. #Dakar2023 pic.twitter.com/6sBE9E6CwS

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 5, 2023

Al-Attiyah pushed ahead and improved Sainz’s target time by 1:57, finishing 52 seconds ahead of the final segment and widening Peterhansel’s deficit by 3:44. Loeb finished far behind after another tough day, while Yazeed Al Rajhi moved up to fourth place.

In the provisional general classification, Al-Attiyah leads with a total of 22:36, ahead of Peterhansel, with Al Rajhi at 27:01 and Sainz at 34:52.

Beveren shines on motorcycles

On the motorcycle front, French rider Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) claimed victory on the fifth stage, narrowly beating Chile’s Nacho Cornejo by 13 seconds. Castellón-born rider Van Beveren benefited from opening the course, earning 41 bonuses for his day-long pace, while Joan Barreda (Honda) suffered a fall 20 kilometers from the finish.

The second special loop of 373 km through Ha’il (Saudi Arabia) favored sandy dunes and desert terrain, with Australian Daniel Sanders (GasGas) asserting himself in the early dunes. North American leadership belonged to Skyler Howes (Husqvarna).

Stage 5 featured top rides in both the motorcycles and bikes categories, with Adrien Van Beveren, Nacho Cornejo, and Mason Klein among the leaders in their respective classes.

Stage 5️⃣ – Bicycles

Temporary top 3: Adrien Van Beveren Nacho Cornejo Mason Klein

Follow other categories live: https://t.co/BrruP0oEtI#Dakar2023 pic.twitter.com/irw4n0GERE

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 5, 2023

Open competition remained intense as Barreda fought through a tough day after Wednesday’s win, despite competing with a broken finger. He finished 26th at the first checkpoint, more than two minutes behind Cornejo, who led at that point.

Chile’s Cornejo briefly led the fourth stage, gaining a crucial buffer that allowed him to focus on the day’s end. Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) joined the challenge as the Dakar continued, while Australian Toby Price (KTM) moved into a strong position around mile 90 as Honda stumbled.

The leaders remained tightly bunched as the course opened toward the last segments, with Skyler Howes climbing in the standings and Paul Quintanilla making decisive moves. Barreda’s day concluded with a lengthy setback as the stage progressed.

California-born Mason Klein, recovering from a fuel-pump issue the previous day, pieced together a late surge to re-enter the fight, sitting behind Price and Cornejo in the late stages.

Fun ride in the dunes #Dakar2023 pic.twitter.com/tFcvlFyUcX

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 5, 2023

Price held steady as Howes pressed, with Klein rising to challenge, while Quintanilla and Barreda battled for position. The day’s drama intensified as Ken Beveren slipped into a podium position, with Santolino and Klein closing gaps in the chase.

The Fall of Barreda

Barreda’s day grew more complicated as the clock ran down. After losing time in the final stretch, several riders aided him, including Price and Quintanilla. He remained in the frame but finished well behind the stage winner Van Beveren, with Cornejo narrowly behind him.

The overall standings showed Daniel Sanders slipping from the lead to Howes’s control. Kevin Benavides moved into second, just 44 seconds adrift, while Barreda trailed the leader by 4:58.