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Tribune News Network
DOHA
Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa and Overdrive Racing maintained three positions inside the top five after the punishing heat of the second 275km special stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Resistencia and San Miguel de Tucum'e1n in Argentina on Tuesday.
After hot, humid and muddy conditions on the opening stage, the searing, dry heat of the second special saw temperatures rise into the forties, although modern cross-country cars now have air conditioning systems in operation.
Qatar's Nasser bin Saleh al Attiyah and French navigator Matthieu Baumel opened the road in the first of eight official Toyota Hiluxes after their stage win on Monday. The minor oil leak that had caused a scare at the stage end was repaired and the duo were the first crew through PC1, after 120km.
The Qatari, a two-time winner of the Dakar, maintained a superb pace throughout the stage, despite running first on the road, and posted the target time of 2hr 06min 55sec. This was sufficient for the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa driver to record the second fastest time, although he slipped 28 seconds behind the stage-winning Frenchman S`bastien Loeb in the overall rankings.
South African Giniel de Villiers and German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz also delivered a consistent performance in the second Toyota Gazoo Racing car and the fourth quickest time elevated the South African to fourth overall.
The Spanish crew of Joan Roma and Alex Haro were also on an excellent pace throughout the stage and Roma carded the fifth quickest time and held a similar position in the overall rankings in his Overdrive Toyota.
The Dutch crew of Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar climbed a place to ninth in the overall rankings in the second of the Overdrive cars to ensure that Toyota maintained four cars inside the top 10.
After a long liaison across the heart of the Grand Chaco, the day's special stage of 275km started near the town of Monte Quemado in the Province of Santiago Del Estero. The tracks round their way through three passage control points to finish to the east of the city of San Miguel de Tucum'e1n and a short liaison took teams to the bivouac. The trucks shared the special with the motorcycles, cars and quads for the first section before the trucks switched to an alternative route and returned to the common track at PC1.
On Wednesday, the route of the Dakar begins a steady climb into the foothills of the Andes with a special stage between San Miguel de Tucum'e1n and San Salvador de Jujuy. Trucks will tackle a radically different special to the rest of the field, but the cars will compete over 364 competitive kilometres in a day's route of 780km.
Dakar Rally SS2 results
1. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (FRA) Peugeot 3008 DKR 2hr 06min 55sec
2. Nasser bin Saleh al Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota Gazoo Hilux 2hr 08min 18sec
3. Carlos Sainz (ESP)/Lucas Cruz (ESP) Peugeot 3008 DKR 2hr 09min 13sec
4. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Gazoo Hilux 2hr 09min 14sec
5. Joan Roma (ESP)/Alex Haro (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2hr 10min 17sec
6. Yazeed al Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Mini All4 Racing 2hr 11min 56sec
2017 Dakar Rally – overall standings after SS2:
1. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (FRA) Peugeot 3008 DKR 2hr 33min 31sec
2. Nasser bin Saleh al Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota Gazoo Hilux 2hr 33min 59sec
3. Carlos Sainz (ESP)/Lucas Cruz (ESP) Peugeot 3008 DKR 2hr 35min 27sec
4. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Gazoo Hilux 2hr 35min 36sec
5. Joan Roma (ESP)/Alex Haro (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2hr 36min 27sec
6. Yazeed al Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Mini All4 Racing 2hr 38min 43sec
7. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA) Peugeot 3008 DKR 2hr 40min 57sec
8. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Michel Périn (FRA) Mini All4 Racing 2hr 42min 20sec
9. Erik van Loon (NED)/Wouter Rosegaar (NED) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2hr 43min 07sec
