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Dakar Rally Chaos: Roadbook Error Forces Drivers Off Course in Stage 7

Posted : 13 January 2025

A significant error in the Dakar Rally's roadbook caused chaos on Sunday during stage 7, leading drivers off-course into the vast Saudi Arabian desert. The mistake, which occurred at kilometre 158 of the 412km loop starting and finishing in Al Duawadimi, sent the leaders astray, forcing them to waste precious time in the desert.

 

After aimlessly navigating for around 50 minutes, a helicopter from the organizers helped direct the cars back onto the correct route.

 

The incident led to the cancellation of times for a 20-kilometre section of the stage, but confusion persisted due to the order in which cars had started the race. Belgian driver Guillaume de Mevius, who was one of the first to reach the erroneous spot, described the situation as chaotic, with drivers repeatedly crossing paths in their attempt to return to the right course.

 

 The blunder drew sharp criticism from participants, including five-time Dakar winner Nasser al-Attiyah, who described the incident as a "disaster" and emphasized the importance of thorough roadbook preparation.

 

Despite the setbacks, Brazilian Lucas Moraes emerged as the stage winner, finishing 7 minutes and 41 seconds ahead of Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom. The day's confusion did little to affect the overall standings, with South Africa's Henk Lategan maintaining his lead by just 21 seconds over Saudi Arabia's Yazeed al-Rajhi. Meanwhile, Toby Price and Sam Sunderland, who had teamed up this year in the car category after their success in the bike section, withdrew from the race for "medical reasons."

 

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