Dakar reaches halfway with Sainz Sr & Brabec leading

In the car category, Stephane Peterhansel wins Stage 6

The 2020 Dakar Rally has taken competitors on a grueling 3,700km route between Jeddah and Riyadh, and we’re only at the halfway mark! The offroaders that remain in the race will now take a well-deserved Rest Day before tackling six more challenging stages before the checkered flag falls in Qiddiya.

The first week of the inaugural Saudi Arabian Dakar concluded with a dash over 352 kilometers of sand dunes between Ha’il and Riyadh. The pace was relentless as competitors jostled for position in the open desert.

The three-way battle between Dakar legends Carlos Sainz (ESP), Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and Stephane Peterhansel (FRA) continues to intensify in the car race. On Stage 6 it was the turn of Peterhansel to lead home the frontrunners, but Sainz and Al-Attiyah were both able to minimize any lost time.

“Today’s rhythm was fast, slow, fast, slow. In the high speed sections you needed to really concentrate. It’s not so much physically tiring as mentally exhausting." – Stephane Peterhansel

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Two-time Dakar winner Sainz has the overall lead of the car category, a position he has held since the conclusion of Stage 3. Sainz’s fellow Mini Buggy driver Peterhansel is third in the general classification, 16 minutes behind his team-mate. Sandwiched between Sainz and Peterhansel is reigning Dakar champion Al-Attiyah, less than eight minutes off the overall lead.

“I lost a little bit of time in the last part of the stage, but not too bad. Opening the road is not easy so I’m happy with the result today. Now I need one Rest Day." – Carlos Sainz

Elsewhere in the car race, 2009 Dakar champion Giniel De Villiers (ZAF) is chasing a ninth podium finish at the world’s toughest rally. Meanwhile Kuba Przygonski (POL) will be happy to see the back of an unfortunate first week at the Dakar.

In the side-by-side race there was a return to top spot for defending champion Chaleco Lopez (CHI). Lopez finished ahead of yesterday’s stage winners Cyril Despres (FRA) and Mike Horn (SUI) by seven minutes. A breakdown in communications didn’t make Despres and Horn’s work any easier on Stage 6.

“The special stage was long today. It started really badly because we lost the intercom after 10 kilometers. After that we were communicating using sign language." – Cyril Despres

Despres and Horn’s team-mates Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA) and Blade Hildebrand (USA) both got through the stage to ensure all three of the OT3 by Overdrive machines will start the second half of this Dakar. Guthrie Jr. is leading Red Bull Off-Road Team USA’s podium challenge, the Dakar debutant is currently fifth overall in the SxS contest.

“Today was a lot of dunes. It was fun and I felt right at home, it was like Glamis, California out there." – Mitch Guthrie Jr.

Ricky Brabec (USA) still leads in the Bike Category

Overnight leader of the bike race, Ricky Brabec (USA), was able to increase his advantage over the chasing pack. Brabec will be hoping to avoid another second week retirement, the fate that has met him at his previous three Dakar outings.

Looking to reel in Brabec when the Dakar gets back underway on Sunday will be the Red Bull KTM Factory Team riders; Toby Price (AUS), Matthias Walkner (AUT) and Luciano Benavides (ARG). These three bikers are all placed in the Top 10, with two-time Dakar winner Price best placed in third overall despite a tough end to Stage 6.

“Around the 400-kilometer mark my rear tire fell off. I don’t know why it happened. Andrew Short gave me his wheel so I didn’t have to ride in on the rim. It wasn’t the best day, but that’s how it goes sometimes." – Toby Price

The targets are different for Laia Sanz (ESP), CS Santosh (IND) and Mohammed Balooshi (UAE) as the trio look to build on a solid first week of riding to pursue personal best finishes at the Dakar.

“I think this is the first day I can really enjoy because the other days I was a bit in the dust. Now I’m looking forward to the Rest Day." – Laia Sanz

It was a bittersweet Stage 6 for Team Kamaz Master. Race leader Andrey Karginov (RUS) was able to increase the gap between himself and nearest rival. However, five-time Dakar winner Eduard Nikolaev (RUS) was forced to retire from the rally due to insurmountable technical issues.

“The dunes were small, but I think that’s a good way to prepare for what’s to come. In the second week of this Dakar we’re expecting huge dunes." – Andrey Karginov

The most straightforward first week at the Dakar belongs to two-time quad race champion Ignacio Casale (CHI). The former bike, truck and SxS Dakar entrant has given himself a 35-minute cushion at the head of the quad race going into the rally’s second week.

“My strategy is to maintain the gap I have in the general standings. I’m very happy with the job I’ve done up until now." – Ignacio Casale

Tomorrow’s Rest Day maybe not be as relaxed as it sounds. Competitors will work alongside engineers and mechanics to ensure their vehicles are in the best shape possible to conquer the remaining 4,000 kilometers still to be navigated in Saudi Arabia. Then an early start beckons on Sunday as the rally gets back underway with a monstrous 546-kilometre special stage that takes the convoy to Wadi Al-Dawasir.

The 2020 Dakar finishes on Friday, January 17 in Al-Qiddiya.

Cars Stage 6 Results (Top-10)

Cars Overall Leaders (Top-10)

2020 Dakar Rally Bike Race (after Stage 6)

1. Ricky Brabec (USA) Honda 23h43m47s
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI) Husqvarna +20m56s
3. Toby Price (AUT) KTM +25m39s
4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHI) Honda +25m41s
5. Joan Barreda (ESP) Honda +32m58s
6. Matthias Walkner (AUT) KTM +33m39s
7. Luciano Benavides (ARG) KTM +39m02s
18. Laia Sanz (ESP) Gas Gas +02h36m21s
36. CS Santosh (IND) Hero +05h48m52s
42. Mohammed Balooshi (UAE) Husqvarna +07h34m10s

2020 Dakar Rally Side-by-side Race (after Stage 6)

1. Chaleco Lopez/Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre (CHI) (CHI) Can-Am 28h52m26s
2. Casey Currie (USA)/Sean Berriman (USA) Can-Am +09m48s
3. Sergei Kariakin (RUS)/Anton Vlasiuk (RUS) Can-Am +30m24s
4. Jose Antonio Hinojo Lopez (ESP)/Diego Ortega Gil (ESP) Can-Am +36m31s
5. Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA)/Ola Floene (NOR) OT3 +47m49s
6. Cyril Despres (FRA)/Mike Horn (SUI) OT3 – Dakar Experience
7. Blade Hildebrand (USA)/Francois Cazalet (FRA) OT3 – Dakar Experience

2020 Dakar Rally Truck (after Stage 6)

1. Andrey Karginov (RUS) Kamaz 25h06m20s
2. Anton Shibalov (RUS) Kamaz +19m14s
3. Siarhei Viazovich (BLR) Maz +36m30s
4. Ales Loprais (CZE) Praga +01h51m13s
5. Martin Macik (CZE) Iveco +01h59m27s
7. Dmitry Sotnikov (RUS) Kamaz +02h28m16s

2020 Dakar Rally Quad Race Top 3 (after Stage 6)

1. Ignacio Casale (CHI) Yamaha 30h11m37s
2. Simon Vitse (FRA) Yamaha +35m12s
3. Rafal Sonik (POL) Yamaha +01h07m17s