DAKAR 2020

STEP 5: CARLOS SAINZ STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP

Carlos Sainz (Mini) won today's stage of the Dakar, his second of this race, thus reinforcing his leadership in the overall classification.
The Mini driver finished almost three minutes ahead of his main rival, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), while Stéphane Peterhansel/Paulo Fiúza finished the day six minutes behind the Spaniard.
Thus, in the overall classification, Carlos Sainz (Mini Buggy) now has 5m59s advance to Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota) with Stéphane Peterhansel and Paulo Fiúza (Mini Buggy) at 17m53s. Yazeed al Rajhi (Toyota) remains in fourth place, although it is further from the podium. It's 31: 39 from Sainz.
Orlando Terranova (Mini) keeps the fifth place but distances himself from the front. Mathieu Serradori (Buggy Century) also took the position he was in today, the sixth, but wasted time on Terranova.
Giniel De Villiers (Toyota) continues in seventh and making a Dakar below his possibilities, but this may be a tactic to escape from problems, which he only had on the first day of the race.
Bernhard Ten Brinke (Toyota) is the eighth, in which position it is already since the second day of the race and closing the top 10 are positioned.
Yasir Seaidan (Mini 4X4), who today rose to a position in general and Benediktas Vanagas/Filipe Palmeiro, who started the race in 15th position, rose to 14th in the third stage, to 11th yesterday, and another position, to the top 10 today.



Film of the day
At the start of the day, Al Rajhi Yazeed Al Rajhi entered strong and in the initial phase the Saudi pilot led in front of Bernhard Ten Brinke for almost a minute after 50 km. The intervals were still short at this time, with Stéphane Peterhansel, Jakub Przygonski, Giniel de Villiers and Naser Al-Attiyah(image above) also a little over a minute ago. At this point, new problems for Van Loon after a difficult special yesterday, in which he flipped his Toyota. It stopped at Km 88 and lost half an hour.
At Km 100, Yazeed Al Rajhi remained in the front, but at this point only with five seconds in front of the Mini driven by Stéphane Peterhansel. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Yasir Seaidan also rotated close by, about 30 seconds away, so it was not surprising that Nasser Al-Attiyah passed to the lead in the special after Km 152. While the leader of the general classification, Carlos Sainz was at that time about a minute later, while Yazeed Al Rajhi had lost time, and was now 1: 53s behind, as was Stéphane Peterhansel, who followed 3m29s further behind the leader of the stage due mostly to a flat tire.
Soon after, Yasir Seaidan was the fastest to follow Nasser Al-Attiyah, followed 30 seconds behind the catari after 150 km and it is at this stage that a new turn takes place in the qualifying stage, as Carlos Sainz takes the lead. At Km 250, the double winner of the Dakar passed to the leadership, although at this time only 12 seconds ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah. Stéphane Peterhansel followed in third to six minutes.
Sainz distanced himself a little further and within 50 km of the final, the leader of the general classification boasted an advantage of almost two minutes over Nasser Al-Attiyah. Stéphane Peterhansel continued with six minutes of advantage and was, more 'thing' less 'thing' as soon as he finished the stage.

by José Luis Abreu, Portugal