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Bisha, Saudi Arabia (AFP)
Spaniard Carlos Sainz finished the first stage of the 2021 Dakar Rally, which began on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, in first place after covering a distance of 277 kilometers in three hours, 18 minutes and 56 seconds, while Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah he finished tenth, and Frenchman Sebastian Loeb was disappointed in 22nd place.
Sainz, the defending champion, led his “Mini” in 25 seconds over his French colleague Stephane Peterhansel, the record holder for the number of titles (7 in the car category and 6 on the bike). Czech Martin Prokop (Ford) finished third.
Sainz, nicknamed “Matador”, started in 28th place in this first stage and, despite the presence of a hole in one of his tires, managed to finish first despite the difficult roads.
But things got more complicated for Loeb and his navigator Daniel Elena, who had suffered three holes since the start and was 24 minutes behind Sainz at the finish line.
Al-Attiyah, who finished tenth with a difference of 12 minutes and 34 seconds, told Agence France-Presse at the end of the stage that “today’s time was not in our favor, but tomorrow I will start tenth and we will have another talk. “.
He added: “Tomorrow the stage is more difficult, more than 400 km (…) the difference between the tenth and the first is about 30 minutes. We will be comfortable.” .
Al-Attiyah wins a fourth Dakar Rally title after 2011, 2015 and 2019.
The contestants will have to travel 685 kilometers on Monday, including 457 kilometers, especially between Bisha and Wadi Al-Dawasir, with the first sand dunes in the program.
Layout of the first stage of the car:
1. Carlos Sainz from Spain (MINI) 03:05:56
2. French Stephane Peterhansel (Minnie) (25 seconds)
3. Czech Martin Prokop (Ford) (3:18)
4. The French Mathieu Ceradori (Century) (6:33)
5. The Saudi Yasser bin Saeedan (century) (8:10)
6. Emirati Khalid Al Qasimi (Toyota) (8:13)
7. South African Jeniel De Villiers (Toyota) (8:59)
8. Nani Roma of Spain (BRX) (9:39)
9. Pole Jacob Bjikonski (Toyota) (9:46)
10. Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota) (12:34).
Ranking of the first stage for bicycles:
1. Australian Toby Price (KTM) 3:18:26
2. Argentine Kevin Benavides (Honda), 31 seconds behind
3.American Matthias Falkner (Honda) (32 seconds)
4. British Sam Sunderland (KTM) 2:03
5. The Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco Factory) 4:23
6. French Xavier de Sultrice (Husqvarna) 4:35
7. Argentine Franco Kaemi (Yamaha) 4:48
8. American Skylar Hos (KTM) 5:25
9. Argentinian Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 7:37 (with punishment fine)
10. Czech Martin Michik (KTM) 8:10
© 2021 AFP
