Frenchman Sebastien Loeb won the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, a 358km trek between Riyadh and Haradh, for Bahrain Raid Xtreme on Tuesday while Carlos Sainz's Audi suffered a major crash.
Loeb finished more than three minutes ahead of Teltonika Racing's Lithuanian Vaidotas Zala, while GCK Motorsport's French driver Guerlain Chicherit was third as racing resumed after a rest day.
The stage win was the second in a row for nine-times world rally champion Loeb and his third overall in the 2023 Dakar.
"It was a good drive. We got a bit lost in some places and in some, I think, very complicated way points," said Loeb.
"The lines of the motorbikes were wrong so we had to turn around and search for them. But I think it was complicated for the others too because Guerlain Chicherit arrived level with me at that place and then he finished further behind.
"We had a good stage. We lost five to seven minutes with the navigation, but I think it was difficult. We could have lost much more."
Loeb moved up to third overall but is one hour 43 minutes and eight seconds adrift of Toyota's defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah, who was eighth on the stage.
The Qatari driver has a lead of one hour 21 minutes and 57 seconds over nearest rival Lucas Moraes of Brazil, with the rally ending in Dammam on January 15.
Earlier, Spaniard Sainz suffered a crash 6km into the stage when his car fell upside down on a dune.
South Africa's Henk Lategan in a Toyota Hilux dropped from second to fourth in the overall standings after losing time with a damaged suspension. Yazeed Al Rajhi in a privateer Toyota stopped to assist and stripped the damper out of his own car so the factory team could continue. It cost Lategan nearly 50 minutes, but he was able to resume and complete the stage in 63rd.
In the motorcycle category, Luciano Benavides of Argentina won the stage for Husqvarna, finishing ahead of Australian Toby Price for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and American team mate Skyler Howes.
Loeb wins Dakar ninth stage, Sainz crashes
South Africa’s Henk Lategan loses second place after suspension setback
Image: Reuters
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb won the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, a 358km trek between Riyadh and Haradh, for Bahrain Raid Xtreme on Tuesday while Carlos Sainz's Audi suffered a major crash.
Loeb finished more than three minutes ahead of Teltonika Racing's Lithuanian Vaidotas Zala, while GCK Motorsport's French driver Guerlain Chicherit was third as racing resumed after a rest day.
The stage win was the second in a row for nine-times world rally champion Loeb and his third overall in the 2023 Dakar.
"It was a good drive. We got a bit lost in some places and in some, I think, very complicated way points," said Loeb.
"The lines of the motorbikes were wrong so we had to turn around and search for them. But I think it was complicated for the others too because Guerlain Chicherit arrived level with me at that place and then he finished further behind.
"We had a good stage. We lost five to seven minutes with the navigation, but I think it was difficult. We could have lost much more."
Loeb moved up to third overall but is one hour 43 minutes and eight seconds adrift of Toyota's defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah, who was eighth on the stage.
The Qatari driver has a lead of one hour 21 minutes and 57 seconds over nearest rival Lucas Moraes of Brazil, with the rally ending in Dammam on January 15.
Earlier, Spaniard Sainz suffered a crash 6km into the stage when his car fell upside down on a dune.
South Africa's Henk Lategan in a Toyota Hilux dropped from second to fourth in the overall standings after losing time with a damaged suspension. Yazeed Al Rajhi in a privateer Toyota stopped to assist and stripped the damper out of his own car so the factory team could continue. It cost Lategan nearly 50 minutes, but he was able to resume and complete the stage in 63rd.
In the motorcycle category, Luciano Benavides of Argentina won the stage for Husqvarna, finishing ahead of Australian Toby Price for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and American team mate Skyler Howes.
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