Dakar Stage 2: Defending Dakar Rally champion Nasser Al-Attiyah wins

Toyota’s Nasser Al-Attiyah won the 430km Sea Camp to Alula stage 2 Monday by 14s over Erik van Loon.

Al Attiyah adopted a cautiously conquering attitude, seizing the opportunity to attack only when the terrain in front of him authorized it. Ahead of him, Carlos Sainz had chosen boldness, with the presence of his son acting like the protection of a lucky charm. The Spaniard passed through the rocks unharmed but was unable to prevent Al Attiyah from gaining five minutes over him to grab a 45th special victory on the Dakar.

Sunday’s opening stage winner Sainz finished third for Audi on the 430km run from the Red Sea over the mountains to AlUla to stretch his overall lead to two minutes and 12 seconds.

207 SAINZ Carlos (spa), CRUZ Lucas (spa), Team Audi Sport, Audi RS Q e-tron E2, Auto, action during the Stage 2 of the Dakar 2023 between Sea Camp and Al-‘Ula, on January 2nd, 2023 in Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia – Photo Gigi Soldano / DPPI

The stage win was the 45th of four times overall winner al-Attiyah’s career and enabled him to claw back five minutes from Spaniard Sainz and set up another duel between the old rivals.

Dutch driver Erik Van Loon was second on the rocky stage for Overdrive Racing.

Nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, who was second overnight for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team, was a big loser on the stage after punctures cost the Frenchman more than an hour and probably his hopes of victory.

LOEB Sebastien (fra), Bahrain Raid Extreme, BRX, Prodrive Hunter, Auto, FIA W2RC, portrait during the Stage 2 of the Dakar 2023 between Sea Camp and Al-‘Ula, on January 2nd, 2023 in Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia – Photo Julien Delfosse / DPPI

“It was a really bad day for us, we lost a lot of time with three punctures” said Loeb, who had to slow after being left without a spare tire and now trails Sainz by an hour and 20 minutes.

“For me it was absolutely no pleasure to drive. The stage was really bad, a lot of stones.

“It was just a question of going very slow trying to avoid a puncture. That was the only goal of the stage and finally we had three. We had to try to repair one tire and it took us a long time.”

A CRUSHING BLOW

Sébastien Loeb’s life on the Dakar is somewhat of a rollercoaster. He has won 16 stages and climbed onto the podium three times during his first six participations in the event, but has also experienced a premature exit, mechanical problems and navigational mistakes which have ruined his ambitions. Today, it was a series of punctures that meant his major goal is slipping through his fingers, because after a special on which he spent the major part without a spare wheel and therefore at a slow pace, he now trails Carlos Sainz by more than 1 hour and 20 minutes in the general rankings.

Bikes

In the motorcycle category, 21-year-old KTM rider Mason Klien of the US took the lead one minute and 41 seconds ahead of Australian Toby Price, also on a KTM.

KLEIN Mason (usa), BAS World KTM Racing Team, KTM, Moto, FIM W2RC, portrait during the Stage 2 of the Dakar 2023 between Sea Camp and Al-‘Ula, on January 2nd, 2023 in Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia – Photo Julien Delfosse / DPPI

Tuesday’s third stage is 447km from AlUla to Ha’il.

Results

Stage 2 Cars

POS. DRIVER/NAVIGATOR TEAM TIME BEHIND
1 200
(QAT) NASSER AL-ATTIYAH
(FRA) MATHIEU BAUMEL
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 05H 00′ 26”
2 215
(NLD) ERIK VAN LOON
(FRA) SÉBASTIEN DELAUNAY
OVERDRIVE RACING 05H 00′ 40” + 00H 00′ 14”
3 207
(ESP) CARLOS SAINZ
(ESP) LUCAS CRUZ
TEAM AUDI SPORT 05H 05′ 31” + 00H 05′ 05”
4 209
(FRA) MATHIEU SERRADORI
(FRA) LOIC MINAUDIER
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM 05H 11′ 55” + 00H 11′ 29”
5 219
(FRA) LIONEL BAUD
(FRA) RÉMI BOULANGER
OVERDRIVE RACING 05H 13′ 26” + 00H 13′ 00”
6 205
(ZAF) GINIEL DE VILLIERS
(ZAF) DENNIS MURPHY
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 05H 13′ 38” + 00H 13′ 12”
7 236
(FRA) SIMON VITSE
(FRA) FREDERIC LEFEBVRE
MD RALLY 05H 14′ 56” + 00H 14′ 30”
8 210
(CZE) MARTIN PROKOP
(CZE) VIKTOR CHYTKA
ORLEN BENZINA TEAM 05H 19′ 41” + 00H 19′ 15”
9 220
(ARG) JUAN CRUZ YACOPINI
(ESP) DANIEL OLIVERAS CARRERAS
OVERDRIVE RACING 05H 22′ 53” + 00H 22′ 27”
10 239
(FRA) PASCAL THOMASSE
(FRA) GÉRARD DUBUY
MD RALLYE SPORT 05H 25′ 32” + 00H 25′ 06”

Stage 2 Bikes

POS. RIDER TEAM TIME BEHIND
1 9
(USA) MASON KLEIN
BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM 05H 23′ 04”
2 14
(DEU) SEBASTIAN BÜHLER
HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY 05H 24′ 13” + 00H 01′ 09”
3 10
(USA) SKYLER HOWES
HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING 05H 24′ 17” + 00H 01′ 13”
4 16
(BWA) ROSS BRANCH
HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY 05H 25′ 02” + 00H 01′ 58”
5 8
(AUS) TOBY PRICE
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 05H 25′ 20” + 00H 02′ 16”
6 5
(ESP) JOAN BARREDA BORT
MONSTER ENERGY JB TEAM 05H 25′ 36” + 00H 02′ 32”
7 15
(ESP) LORENZO SANTOLINO
SHERCO FACTORY 05H 26′ 14” + 00H 03′ 10”
8 47
(ARG) KEVIN BENAVIDES
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 05H 26′ 24” + 00H 03′ 20”
9 18
(AUS) DANIEL SANDERS
RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING 05H 26′ 28” + 00H 03′ 24”
10 52
(AUT) MATTHIAS WALKNER
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 05H 27′ 10” + 00H 04′ 06”

Overall Cars after Stage 2

POS. DRIVER/NAVIGATOR TEAM TIME VARIATION
1 207
(ESP) CARLOS SAINZ
(ESP) LUCAS CRUZ
TEAM AUDI SPORT 08H 34′ 26”
2 200
(QAT) NASSER AL-ATTIYAH
(FRA) MATHIEU BAUMEL
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 08H 36′ 38” + 00H 02′ 12”
3 209
(FRA) MATHIEU SERRADORI
(FRA) LOIC MINAUDIER
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM 08H 59′ 21” + 00H 24′ 55”
4 236
(FRA) SIMON VITSE
(FRA) FREDERIC LEFEBVRE
MD RALLY 09H 00′ 06” + 00H 25′ 40”
5 205
(ZAF) GINIEL DE VILLIERS
(ZAF) DENNIS MURPHY
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 09H 01′ 04” + 00H 26′ 38”
6 202
(SAU) YAZEED AL RAJHI
(DEU) DIRK VON ZITZEWITZ
OVERDRIVE RACING 09H 02′ 25” + 00H 27′ 59”
7 210
(CZE) MARTIN PROKOP
(CZE) VIKTOR CHYTKA
ORLEN BENZINA TEAM 09H 09′ 50” + 00H 35′ 24”
8 204
(FRA) STÉPHANE PETERHANSEL
(FRA) EDOUARD BOULANGER
TEAM AUDI SPORT 09H 10′ 34” + 00H 36′ 08”
9 216
(ZAF) BRIAN BARAGWANATH
(ZAF) LEONARD CREMER
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM 09H 13′ 39” + 00H 39′ 13”
10 217
(ZAF) HENK LATEGAN
(ZAF) BRETT CUMMINGS
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 09H 14′ 18” + 00H 39′ 52”

Overall Bikes after Stage 2

POS. RIDER TEAM TIME VARIATION
1 9
(USA) MASON KLEIN
BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM 09H 38′ 28”
2 8
(AUS) TOBY PRICE
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 09H 40′ 09” + 00H 01′ 41”
3 5
(ESP) JOAN BARREDA BORT
MONSTER ENERGY JB TEAM 09H 40′ 31” + 00H 02′ 03”
4 47
(ARG) KEVIN BENAVIDES
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 09H 40′ 53” + 00H 02′ 25”
5 18
(AUS) DANIEL SANDERS
RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING 09H 41′ 23” + 00H 02′ 55”
6 2
(USA) RICKY BRABEC
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 09H 42′ 49” + 00H 04′ 21”
7 10
(USA) SKYLER HOWES
HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING 09H 43′ 39” + 00H 05′ 11”
8 7
(CHL) PABLO QUINTANILLA
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 09H 43′ 44” + 00H 05′ 16”
9 52
(AUT) MATTHIAS WALKNER
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 09H 46′ 46” + 00H 08′ 18”
10 14
(DEU) SEBASTIAN BÜHLER
HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY 09H 47′ 02” + 00H 08′ 34”
Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com