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Yazeed Al Rajhi Leads Dakar Rally's Second Stage

Posted : 05 January 2025

Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi was in the lead at the halfway point of the grueling 48-hour second stage of the Dakar Rally on Sunday, navigating the vast dunes of the Empty Quarter. The stage, which introduced a new format in 2024, has been particularly challenging, with two major contenders facing difficulties.

 

Carlos Sainz suffered a setback, losing 40 minutes after his Ford Raptor flipped, while Sebastien Loeb's hopes of claiming his first Dakar title faded due to a fan issue on his Ford. Both drivers found themselves over 30 minutes behind Al Rajhi, who sympathized with their misfortune, recalling his own abandonment of the race during this very stage last year.

 

The marathon stage, spanning almost 1000 kilometers over two days, takes competitors through Saudi Arabia's vast Empty Quarter, a desert of endless dunes. Sunday's segment ended at 1700 local time, with drivers heading to their nearest break zones to rest before the conclusion of the stage on Monday.

 

This year, the bike and car routes were separated, eliminating the advantage cars might have gained by following the faster bikes. As competitors settled in for the night, Al Rajhi held a 1-minute, 19-second lead over Nasser Al Attiyah, the Qatari five-time Dakar winner, and was also ahead in the overall rankings.

 

Al Rajhi, who finished third in 2022, appeared poised to maintain his strong position in the race. He was joined by other drivers struggling to cope with the harsh conditions, and the challenging dunes continued to take their toll on the competitors. For many, the rally's second stage presented a test of both endurance and strategy, and with a long way still to go, the outcome remained uncertain.

 

In the bike race, Australian Daniel Sanders, who won the first stage, led defending champion Ricky Brabec of the United States by 2 minutes and 23 seconds. As the two-wheel competitors also navigated the dunes, they too faced the fierce challenges of the Empty Quarter, with Sanders maintaining a narrow advantage over Brabec as the marathon stage neared its end.

 

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