Loeb Extends Dakar Record; Bikes See Dramatic Turn
France’s Sébastien Loeb, driving for Prodrive, claimed the sixth straight stage win at the Dakar Rally 2023 on Saturday, bringing his tally to seven stage victories overall and surpassing Ari Vatanen’s 1989 five-stage record. This success, however, does not include the fifth Touareg triumph secured by Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar in a Toyota.
With a key stage skipped, Loeb remains 1 hour 21 minutes and 42 seconds ahead in the overall standings, further distancing the Brazilian Lucas Moraes of Toyota in second place. The penultimate day featured a grueling 521-kilometer link from Shaybah to Al-Hofuf, highlighted by a demanding dune-driven 154-kilometer special.
The back-to-back stage rigor again demonstrated Loeb’s resilience despite the early-season setbacks, showing that he could still assert control over the rally as it approached the finish. Seizing the moment created by Al-Attiyah’s situation, Loeb did not chase partial wins at the expense of his overall lead, instead navigating the dunes with confidence.
Loeb began the loop with a lead of 22 seconds over the four-time endurance champion and 1 minute and 44 seconds ahead of the Swede at the first checkpoint (km 34). Mattias Ekström continued to adapt to the sand and improve his Audi in Dakar’s challenging environment. Lucas Moraes trailed Loeb by 3:12, settling into a position that left him with a tough climb to reclaim second in the standings in the previous stage.
Mid-stage, Loeb’s pace proved formidable. He extended his advantage over Al-Attiyah and kept Ekström at bay, with the Polish T4 (modified) vehicles sharing similar times. Erik Gozal, accompanied by Oriol Mena as co-pilot, remained within striking distance as the stage neared the finish.
As the final waypoint approached, the image became clearer: Loeb dominated the overall leaderboard with a substantial gap over Ekström and a widening margin over his closest pursuers. The Frenchman crossed the Dakar penultimate stage in 2:26:17. While the route was open from start to finish, he received a 4:28 time penalty due to an infraction that clipped his hopes of a perfect run, yet remained ahead in his campaign toward a historic fifth Touareg title. Ekström logged a time 6:31 behind.
Motorcycle Mayhem: A Day of Shifts and Surprises
In the motorcycle division, the penultimate stage reshaped both the stage results and the overall standings. Argentina’s Kevin Benavides stopped to assist Austrian Matthias Walkner after an incident, incurring a time penalty that reshaped the final order and left Benavides 12 seconds behind the leader in the final day. Toby Price, the Australian, briefly led before Benavides’s ascent that evening, while Skyler Howes from the United States trailed closely after the surprise turn of events.
South Africa’s Michael Docherty, riding Husqvarna, celebrated a stage win on Saturday, marking his second such triumph this Dakar. Luciano Benavides, also on a Husqvarna and the youngest in the family, initially claimed a stage victory but was later handed a one-minute penalty for speeding, altering the podium positions. The rookie’s performance nevertheless underscored the tight, unpredictable nature of the rally’s motorcycle category.
In the same breath, Chilean rider Nacho Cornejo on a Honda opened the circuit with his first win of the edition, followed by Australia’s Daniel Sanders on a GasGas and Price, who briefly led with a slim margin over Howes in the penultimate stage. At the first checkpoint (km 34), Docherty set the best time for Rally2, while Luciano Benavides and Kevin Benavides from the KTM team also posted quick times.
The duel between Howes and Price remained fierce as the stage progressed, with Docherty maintaining an edge in the middle portion. The rally’s rookie team faced late challenges, including Walkner and Mason Klein hitting DNFs that reshuffled the top ten. Docherty held the lead into the late segments, but Luciano Benavides surged to within seconds, setting the stage for a dramatic finale.
As the riders crossed the line, Docherty held the best time, with Luciano Benavides narrowly behind due to a minor penalty that altered the final sequence. Adrien van Beveren finished fourth on a Honda, while Tosha Schareina on a GasGas placed among the top ten. Lorenzo Santolino on a Sherco fell but benefited from Walkner and Klein’s DNFs in the overall tally.
In the overall motorcycle competition, Price maintained a slim lead on the track thanks to time bonuses, followed by Benavides in close pursuit and Howes a short distance back.