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Agencies
Haradh (Saudi Arabia)
Defending champion and three-time winner Nasser al Attiyah had another good day in the office. Though the Qatari Toyota driver was denied a first win in the Dakar Rally 2020 by X-raid Mini’s Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, he made a massive progress on the general classification, slashing the overall gap between him and leader Carlos Sainz to just 24 seconds.
The 886-km stage nine from Wadi Al-Dawasir to Haradh offered 410 kms as timed distance and there was a thrilling battle for the No. 1finish between 13-time winner Peterhansel, Attiyah and twice champion Sainz. The Spaniard, over five minutes of Attiyah, failed to keep up with the other two challengers as Peterhansel and Attiyah upped the pace.
At the end, Peterhansel pipped Attiyah by 15 seconds, while Sainz was fifth. However, the Qatari however gained more ground and kept the title race open over the next two stages, including Wednesday’s marathon special of 534 kms between Haradh and Shubaytah.
Attiyah said he was content with a good day’s racing. “We tried to do our best and today I think we did a really good stage,” said the driver who has represented Qatar in six Olympic Games, winning bronze in the men’s skeet event in London in 2012.
“I’m quite happy to close the gap with Carlos. I think tomorrow and day after tomorrow will be very, very difficult for everybody. It’s good tomorrow that Stephane is opening on marathon day. We’ll see now about Carlos and it looks like the three cars are very close together. For all three of us, it is possible that one can win the Dakar.”
Nicknamed ‘Mr. Dakar’ for his 13 previous Dakar victories (seven in a car and six on a bike), Mini driver Peterhansel clocked 3hr 08min 31sec on the 410km special for his third stage win of this Dakar, being held for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
“Today it was, again, a stage with full attack,” said Peterhansel. “We tried to push at full attack from the beginning, but never opening the gas too much.”
Local favourite Yasir Seaidan (Race) came in third while overall race leader Sainz finished fifth, 6min 31sec off the pace.
Peterhansel remains in third place in the general classification, 6:38 off the pace. He added: “We’ll try to keep the pressure on the leader.”
In the motorbike category, resuming after stage eight was cancelled following the death of Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves, Pablo Quintanilla notched up his first win.
The Chilean, on a Husqvarna, won the special with a lead of almost two minutes over Australia’s defending champion Toby Price.
As a result, he continues to put pressure on general standings leader Ricky Brabec, the American Honda rider nevertheless managing to limit the damage (+20:53) by finishing less than four minutes behind the day’s winner in fourth spot.
Wednesday’s stage 10 from Haradh to Shubaytah takes competitors into the infamous ‘Rub al-Khali’ or ‘Empty Quarter’, a huge sand desert that spreads from host country Saudi Arabia into neighbouring Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Vast off-road expanses feature, with the last 30 kilometres of the stage going right through the dunes in what promises to be a tough challenge.Results & Standings (cars)Leading stage nine times
Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Stephane Peterhansel Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW 3h08m31.s
2 Nasser Al-Attiyah Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +15.s
3 Yasir Saeidan Race World Team Mini/BMW +4m48.s
4 Jakub Przygonski Orlen X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +6m23.s
5 Carlos Sainz Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +6m31.s
6 Yazeed al Rajhi Overdrive Toyota Toyota +8m22.s
7 Bernhard Ten Brinke Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +8m30.s
8 Giniel de Villiers Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +11m16.s
9 Fernando Alonso Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +13m03.s
10 Orlando Terranova X-Raid Team Mini/BMW 13m10.s
Leading positions (after Stage 9)
Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Carlos Sainz Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW 35h11m54.s
2 Nasser al Attiyah Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +24.s
3 Stephane Peterhansel Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +6m38.s
4 Yazeed al Rajhi Overdrive Toyota Toyota +34m16.s
5 Orlando Terranova X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +49m41.s
6 Giniel de Villiers Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +57m57.s
7 Bernhard Ten Brinke Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +1h08m59.s
8 Mathieu Serradori SRT Racing Century/? +1h24m20.s
9 Yasir Saeidan Race World Team Mini/BMW +2h35m35.s
10 Fernando Alonso Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +3h17m23.s
Haradh (Saudi Arabia)
Defending champion and three-time winner Nasser al Attiyah had another good day in the office. Though the Qatari Toyota driver was denied a first win in the Dakar Rally 2020 by X-raid Mini’s Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, he made a massive progress on the general classification, slashing the overall gap between him and leader Carlos Sainz to just 24 seconds.
The 886-km stage nine from Wadi Al-Dawasir to Haradh offered 410 kms as timed distance and there was a thrilling battle for the No. 1finish between 13-time winner Peterhansel, Attiyah and twice champion Sainz. The Spaniard, over five minutes of Attiyah, failed to keep up with the other two challengers as Peterhansel and Attiyah upped the pace.
At the end, Peterhansel pipped Attiyah by 15 seconds, while Sainz was fifth. However, the Qatari however gained more ground and kept the title race open over the next two stages, including Wednesday’s marathon special of 534 kms between Haradh and Shubaytah.
Attiyah said he was content with a good day’s racing. “We tried to do our best and today I think we did a really good stage,” said the driver who has represented Qatar in six Olympic Games, winning bronze in the men’s skeet event in London in 2012.
“I’m quite happy to close the gap with Carlos. I think tomorrow and day after tomorrow will be very, very difficult for everybody. It’s good tomorrow that Stephane is opening on marathon day. We’ll see now about Carlos and it looks like the three cars are very close together. For all three of us, it is possible that one can win the Dakar.”
Nicknamed ‘Mr. Dakar’ for his 13 previous Dakar victories (seven in a car and six on a bike), Mini driver Peterhansel clocked 3hr 08min 31sec on the 410km special for his third stage win of this Dakar, being held for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
“Today it was, again, a stage with full attack,” said Peterhansel. “We tried to push at full attack from the beginning, but never opening the gas too much.”
Local favourite Yasir Seaidan (Race) came in third while overall race leader Sainz finished fifth, 6min 31sec off the pace.
Peterhansel remains in third place in the general classification, 6:38 off the pace. He added: “We’ll try to keep the pressure on the leader.”
In the motorbike category, resuming after stage eight was cancelled following the death of Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves, Pablo Quintanilla notched up his first win.
The Chilean, on a Husqvarna, won the special with a lead of almost two minutes over Australia’s defending champion Toby Price.
As a result, he continues to put pressure on general standings leader Ricky Brabec, the American Honda rider nevertheless managing to limit the damage (+20:53) by finishing less than four minutes behind the day’s winner in fourth spot.
Wednesday’s stage 10 from Haradh to Shubaytah takes competitors into the infamous ‘Rub al-Khali’ or ‘Empty Quarter’, a huge sand desert that spreads from host country Saudi Arabia into neighbouring Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Vast off-road expanses feature, with the last 30 kilometres of the stage going right through the dunes in what promises to be a tough challenge.Results & Standings (cars)Leading stage nine times
Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Stephane Peterhansel Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW 3h08m31.s
2 Nasser Al-Attiyah Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +15.s
3 Yasir Saeidan Race World Team Mini/BMW +4m48.s
4 Jakub Przygonski Orlen X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +6m23.s
5 Carlos Sainz Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +6m31.s
6 Yazeed al Rajhi Overdrive Toyota Toyota +8m22.s
7 Bernhard Ten Brinke Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +8m30.s
8 Giniel de Villiers Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +11m16.s
9 Fernando Alonso Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +13m03.s
10 Orlando Terranova X-Raid Team Mini/BMW 13m10.s
Leading positions (after Stage 9)
Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Carlos Sainz Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW 35h11m54.s
2 Nasser al Attiyah Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +24.s
3 Stephane Peterhansel Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +6m38.s
4 Yazeed al Rajhi Overdrive Toyota Toyota +34m16.s
5 Orlando Terranova X-Raid Team Mini/BMW +49m41.s
6 Giniel de Villiers Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +57m57.s
7 Bernhard Ten Brinke Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +1h08m59.s
8 Mathieu Serradori SRT Racing Century/? +1h24m20.s
9 Yasir Saeidan Race World Team Mini/BMW +2h35m35.s
10 Fernando Alonso Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota +3h17m23.s
