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Cristina Gutierrez (right) with Jutta Kleinschmidt
Julien Delfosse / Red Bull Content Pool
• Cristina Gutiérrez won Stage 1 in the Light Vehicles category.
• She became the first woman to win a Dakar stage since Jutta Kleinschmidt.
• Carlos Sainz is the defending Dakar champion.
• For more motorsports stories, visit www.Wheels24.co.za
The 2021 Dakar Rally is now well and truly underway as the competitors settled down on a 277 kilometer route on the first stage. At the height of the challenge were Cristina Gutiérrez, Carlos Sainz and Toby Price, who obtained victories.
Gutiérrez set the best time in the light vehicle category. The Spaniard, who has previously finished four editions of the Dakar in the car category, showed off her off-road talent to become the first woman to win a Dakar stage since Jutta Kleinschmidt in 2005.
Gutiérrez said: “There were a lot of very complicated things on the stage. We had a puncture, but I think everyone had at least one today. The work that my co-driver François (Cazalet) did in the navigation was incredible because it was so hard today.
Cristina Gutierrez
Wasting time and getting lost
In the car category, current champion Carlos Sainz could not escape the difficulties presented on the first day. However, despite suffering a puncture and a navigation problem, the Spaniard took the stage victory and took first place in the classification.
Sainz, a three-time Dakar champion, admitted: “There was a place where we got lost for three or four minutes, a place where many other cars were lost.”
LEE: Carlos Sainz defends his title by winning the first stage of the Dakar Rally
Pushing Sainz all the way was fellow Mini JCW Buggy driver Stéphane Peterhansel. The 13-time Dakar winner finally missed a stage win by 26 seconds, but has moved on to second place in the overall standings.
Peterhansel said: “The navigation was not easy and there were a lot of rocks. It was very easy to puncture, and we reached 30 km from the end of the stage. Tomorrow’s stage also looks difficult.”
Stephane peterhansel
Stable units
Although they couldn’t match Sainz’s pace, on Stage 1 there were constant boosts for Giniel De Villiers, Kuba Przygonski, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Cyril Despres. The news was not so good for nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb as the Frenchman endured a difficult day.
Loeb said: “We got lost after 15 km for 15 minutes. Then we were in the dust of the cars that had passed us. We had three punctures and got lost a second time.”
Toby Price leads the general classification in the bicycle category after achieving a stage victory on the route to Bisha. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider, who is chasing a third Dakar victory, said: “There are still a lot of changes and cuts in qualifying. I will do my best to stay calm and let things run smoothly.”
Price was joined by fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner in the Top 5. Walkner said: “When we were on the big rocks, it felt like we were racing at the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria.”
Compiled by: Charlen Raymond
