Team Audi Sport's French driver Stephane Peterhansel and his French co-driver Edouard Boulanger steer their car during stage 2 between Al Henakiyah and Al Duwadimi, Saudi Arabia, on January 7, 2024, as part of the Dakar rally 2024. Picture: PATRICK HERTZOG, AFP
Audi veteran Stephane Peterhansel left his rivals trailing in the dust on stage two of the Dakar Rally on Sunday in a treacherous 463km race through the winding dunes of the Saudi desert.
Only nine-time rally world champion Sebastien Loeb got anywhere near Peterhansel at 29sec as American rookie Seth Quintero came home third at 3min 11sec.
The 58-year-old Peterhansel scooped his 50th Dakar Rally stage win to become joint record holder with Ari Vatanen.
"I stopped counting a long time ago, but it's good to know I can still beat him," Peterhansel said.
But the result leaves Audi's Carlos Sainz in the overall lead at 8hr 49min 38sec with a lead of 1min 51sec on Saudi Arabian Yazeed Al Rajhi who came fifth Sunday, while Loeb sits third at 4min 17sec.
Some stunning shots from the Ultimate class on Stage 2 featuring the likes of @CSainz_oficial, @s_peterhansel, @SebastienLoeb & @SethQuintero103 🔝 #Dakar2024 pic.twitter.com/q8yC7qmig4
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 7, 2024
Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah was fourth on the day at 6min 28.
In the motorbike section Honda's Ignacio Cornejo took the win with a lead of 5min 59sec ahead of Luciano Benavides while Botswana's Ross Branch remains in the overall lead.
After placing third after the first stage on Saturday, South Africa’s Giniel de Villiers and his co-driver Dennis Murphy could only manage 14th place on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Spanish motorcyclist Carles Falcon was helicoptered to hospital with serious injuries after crashing during the second stage of the Dakar Rally.
The high-speed race over jagged rocks and winding sand dunes in the Saudi desert was almost complete when the experienced off-road rider from Tarragona suffered an accident.
"Immediately notified by another racer who was following him, the organization dispatched a medical helicopter which took care of the injured motorcyclist in a condition considered serious. He was airlifted to Al-Duwadimi hospital," race organiser ASO said.
Falcon, riding for the Twintrail Racing Team, was 76th after Saturday's opening stage.
Monday's 438km run from Al-Duwamsimi to Al-Salamiya features changing terrain from dunes to jagged rocky sections.
AFP
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