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The French driver confirmed that the hybrid cars were capable of Dakar results. The final victory seems however promised to the Qatari Nasser al-Attiyah.
Stéphane Peterhansel and his Audi were efficient in the dunes on Wednesday.
AFP
The French Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi) won the tenth stage of the Dakar rally on Wednesday, his first success in this edition, while the Qatari Nasser al-Attiyah (Toyota) is on track to win in the car category.
Two days from the finish, Al-Attiyah, triple winner of the event, is still more than half an hour ahead of his runner-up Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive), at the end of this 384 km special. between Wadi ad-Dawasir and Bisha, Saudi Arabia.
Audi, spared this Wednesday by the mechanical problems which spoiled its Saudi fortnight, managed to double it during this stage, since Peterhansel finished in front of his Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz. “I would not trade a scratch victory, even with an electric car (editor’s note: hybrid) Audi, once morest an overall victory, that’s for sure, ”said Peterhansel, who holds the record for victories in the event (14 wins, including six on motorcycles).
The 2023 perspective
“Each Audi driver has won a special, it’s very positive. Audi must be able to have a reliable and efficient car in 2023, we will have it for sure and we will fight for victory, ”he added.
During this stage, Loeb took 1’25 ” back from Al-Attiyah (Toyota), who also suffered a 5-minute penalty on Tuesday, but the Qatari still has a 32’40 ” lead over the former world champion in WRC rallies, and 55 minutes on the third, the Saudi Yazeed al-Rajhi (Toyota).
“It’s stages where we are all the time at the bottom (…) even being really” unpinning “, it is difficult to make a gap, regretted Loeb at the finish. We will do what we can, we have no choice, the goal is to drive to the end and we will see where it leads us at the finish. “
Motorcycles: Van Beveren regained the lead
The Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) for his part returned to the top of the general classification in the motorcycle category, following the 10th stage won on Wednesday by the Australian Toby Price (KTM). In a stage marked by big navigation errors and the retirement due to mechanical breakdown of the reigning champion, the Argentinian Kevin Benavides (KTM), the leader of the general, the Austrian Matthias Walkner (KTM) was lost, yielding 15 minutes to Price.
Overall, Van Beveren, triple winner of the Enduropale du Touquet but never crowned on the Dakar, now has 4’15 ” ahead of his runner-up the Chilean Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) and 5’59 ” on his beau -brother, Briton Sam Sunderland.
Thursday’s stage will undoubtedly be decisive, the last special, Friday, being the shortest of the fortnight (164 km).
After the emotions of the day before and before a penultimate stage that is announced to be very complicated, the Swiss of the Dakar had a fairly calm day. In the SSV, following his big technical problem on Tuesday, Jérôme De Sadeleer regained his (good) pace (11th in the stage, 23rd overall, a classification where Nicolas Brabeck is 17th).
On two-wheelers, with a new engine fitted overnight, the Neuchâtelois Nicolas Monnin finished the stage in 114th place (he was 116th overall). In the car, finally, Alexandre Pesci and Stephan Kuhni (Rebellion) are at the gates of the top 50, exactly in 52nd place. / J.-C.S.
(AFP)