Today’s stage: Jeddah – Al Wajh
83 cars are expected at the start of this first Dakar in Saudi Arabia. This edition will start with an already hearty first stage and will present all the difficulties of this Dakar with fast, winding, dunes and stones.
Holding the title of the event, Nasser Al-Attiyah will logically be the first driver to start, followed by Nani Roma and Stéphane Peterhansel.
Highlights
Arrival : Left in 19th position this morning, Lithuanian Vaidotas Zala makes an authentic surprise behind the wheel of his private Mini. Driver of a Fabia R5 in his national championship last year, and with success, Zala won this stage by two minutes ahead of the official Mini of Stéphane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz. The Lithuanian is already competing in his fifth Dakar.
Slowed down by a puncture, Nasser Al-Attiyah had to settle for the fourth time and let go five minutes. With his Century buggy, Mathieu Serradori achieved a very beautiful stage with a sixth final time.
For his discovery of the Dakar, Fernando Alonso begins with a convincing eleventh place, just ahead of the former WRC driver, Martin Prokop.
Stage classification (provisional)
| Pos. | Pilot | Car | Chrono | Difference |
| 1 | V. ZALA | MINI | 3:19:04 | |
| 2 | S. PETERHANSEL | MINI | 3:21:18 | 0:02:14 |
| 3 | C. SAINZ | MINI | 3:21:54 | 0:02:50 |
| 4 | N. AL-ATTIYAH | TOYOTA | 3:24:37 | 0:05:33 |
| 5 | B. TEN BRINKE | TOYOTA | 3:25:34 | 0:06:30 |
| 6 | M. SERRADORI | CENTURY | 3:25:59 | 0:06:55 |
| 7 | O. TERRANOVA | MINI | 3:26:19 | 0:07:15 |
| 8 | Y. AL RAJHI | TOYOTA | 3:30:50 | 0:11:46 |
| 9 | V. VASILYEV | MINI | 3:32:29 | 0:13:25 |
| 10 | E. VAN LOON | TOYOTA | 3:33:02 | 0:13:58 |
| 11 | F. ALONSO | TOYOTA | 3:34:31 | 0:15:27 |
| 12 | M. PROKOP | FORD | 3:34:41 | 0:15:37 |
| 13 | SK. AL QASSIMI | PEUGEOT | 3:37:09 | 0:18:05 |
| 14 | G. DE VILLIERS | TOYOTA | 3:42:20 | 0:23:16 |
| 15 | B. VANAGAS | TOYOTA | 3:42:30 | 0:23:26 |
| 16 | N. ROMA | BORGWARD | 3:47:16 | 0:28:12 |
KM 294 : Very successful so far, Khalid Al-Qassimi lets go and is now eighteen minutes behind the race leader ! For its part, the Lithuanian Zala still amazes as much! 24 kilometers from the finish, he is ahead of three other Mini drivers: Stéphane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Orlando Terranova. Fifth, Nasser Al-Attiyah is the first Toyota driver.
KM 254: Imperial since the start of this stage, Nasser Al-Attiyah has been braked in his tracks by a puncture and is now in third provisional rank! It’s the UAE driver Khalid Al-Qassimi who now dominates, one minute ahead of Lithuanian Zala and two minutes ahead of the duo Peterhansel / Al-Attiyah.
For Carlos Sainz, things have improved and the Spanish is now “just” five minutes from the head. Despite a difficult previous sector, Fernando Alonso is on the right pace with a provisional 10th place.
KM 208 : In just fifty kilometers, Nasser Al-Attiyah took the lead in the lead, more than four minutes ahead of Khalid Al-Qassimi and the surprising Lithuanian Zala driving a Mini. Fourth, Stéphane Peterhansel remains in the lead car.
For Fernando Alonso on the other hand, the addition is salty on this sector, the Spaniard losing nearly eight minutes in fifty kilometers.
KM 158 : For the first time since the start, Nasser Al-Attiyah lost time against his direct opponents. First to pass after the Qatari driver at this score, Stéphane Peterhansel now points to 1:10 of the defending champion. Far away from the previous WP, Khalid Al-Qassimi suddenly finds himself in two minutes, demonstrating a probable time problem in KM 105. Orlando Terranova is also in good pace in fourth position.
Note the promising debut of Fernando Alonso, eighth provisional just six minutes from the head. In sixth position, Mathieu Serradori is also very fit.
KM 146 : Serious candidate for the final podium, Jakub Przygonski is stopped by a mechanical problem at the wheel of his Mini.
KM 105 : Nasser Al-Attiyah is still the fastest and widens the gap against his rivals. They are all more than two minutes behind him with the official Mini Sainz, Przygonski and Peterhansel.
Author of an excellent start to the stage, Khalid Al-Qassimi has completely picked up and finds himself more than twenty minutes away.
KM 86 : Nasser Al-Attiyah continues his slight domination, pushing the official Mini of Sainz, Przygonski and Peterhansel to more than a minute. In the middle of the Mini, Khalid Al-Qassimi is still in the game (+1: 38), like the French Mathieu Serradori.
For Fernando Alonso, this special has gone smoothly so far and the Spaniard is in provisional 12th place.
KM 65 : Terrible disillusionment for Romain Dumas who sees his brand new RD Limited buggy catch fire, but fortunately, the crew is safe and sound! For his third Dakar, the French driver must already give up.
KM 47 : After half an hour of racing, Nasser Al-Attiyah is already the fastest, followed at 26s by the surprising Khalid Al-Qassimi, again present at the wheel of a Peugeot 3008. In Mini, Carlos Sainz, Orlando Terranova and Jakub Przygonski are also on the right pace less than a minute from the leader.
At the wheel of his Buggy Century, the French Mathieu Serradori is a nice provisional fifth.
For his debut, Fernando Alonso is not ridiculous by conceding only 17s on his teammate Giniel de Villiers, former winner of the Dakar.
7:20 : As announced, Nasser Al-Attiyah set off on this special, followed three minutes later by Nani Roma, engaged with the little-known German manufacturer, Bogward.
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