Nasser Al-Attiyah wins the first stage in the car ahead of Sébastien Loeb, Stéphane Peterhansel injured

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The three-time Dakar winner won the first stage in the auto category of the rally-raid on Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

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And two for Nasser Al-Attiyah. The Qatari, who won the car category prologue the day before, won the first stage of the Dakar 2022 on Sunday January 2 in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia. In the company of Mathieu Baume, the Toyota driver concluded the stage with more than twelve minutes ahead of the French Sébastien Loeb (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) and the Czech Martin Prokop (Benzina Orlen Team).

Leader since the first score, Nasser Al-Attiyah has never been worried by his competitors. The three-time Dakar winner (2011, 2015, 2019) retains the lead in the provisional classification. At the end of the day, Loeb paid tribute to the crew who reigned over this start of the event while being careful for the rest: “Nasser (al-Attiyah, editor’s note) and Mathieu (Baumel), they are strong (…) we can see that they allow themselves to leave the track, to come back, it was beautiful to see. This second stage does not was not advertised as the most difficult, you really have to be focused. “

This 333 km loop around northern Saudi Arabia was the scene of great navigation difficulties for many competitors on all vehicles, causing already significant gaps. French driver Stéphane Peterhansel paid the price. At the wheel of a new hybrid vehicle from Audi, he tore off his rear axle at km 120, and had to be immobilized for several hours. The chances of a 15th coronation have already greatly diminished for the holder of the record for victories on the Dakar.

The heavy rains of the night from Saturday to Sunday had transformed some dunes on the course of the day, and the floods which followed will hamper the links of stages 2 and 3 scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, now extended. Without consequences on the special marathon, dear to the hearts of nostalgic people, but the cancellation of their bivouac cuts off the spirit of adventure of the race, which has become very supervised.


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