DAY 3: Stage 2 – January 7, 2024 – Route: AL HENAKIYAH > AL DUWADIMI: Liaison 192km and Special 463km
– After a bruising opening stage there were already sizeable time gaps in the Ultimate class ahead of Stage 2, but turning that around was Stéphane Peterhansel. The Audi RS Q e-tron driver powered to his 50th stage win on four wheels (plus a further 33 in the Bike class). He lifted himself up to 13m 16s off the race lead, which is now occupied by team-mate Carlos Sainz. The 61-year-old Spaniard now has a cushion of 1m 51s over local favourite Yazeed Al Rajhi. “It was a much better day than yesterday for us and it was a pleasure to drive. The settings on the car were really good and to take a stage victory is always nice,” said Peterhansel, 58.
– After losing time on Stage 1, it was also a decent day in the desert for Sébastien Loeb as he promoted his Prodrive Hunter to the overall podium after missing out on the stage win by just 30s. The record WRC champion said: “It was a long stage, but very nice for us. I tried to push throughout. We hesitated a few times with the navigation, but each time we came back to the track quite quickly.” Flying the flag for the next generation are Seth Quintero, 21, and Guillaume de Mévius, 29. Both drivers are making their Ultimate class debut and sit fourth and fifth in the general classification.
– Ominously for the drivers at the front, there was also a significant move made by defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah, despite some technical issues with his Prodrive Hunter. Al-Attiyah has lifted himself to seventh overall, grouped in with Mattias Ekström, Lucas Moraes and Peterhansel. All have their eyes fixed on podium places.
– In the Bike class, Luciano Benavides showed the speed that saw him crowned the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship winner in 2023. The Argentinian rode his Husqvarna to second place on the stage to break into the top five overall, just two seconds ahead of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders. The Australian leads his team-mate Sam Sunderland by less than a minute, while a further 1m 20s behind Sunderland is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Toby Price.
– Managing to squeeze his way among the Goczal family at the front of the Challenger class on Stage 2 was Mitch Guthrie Jr. The American has been a big part of the development of the MCE-5 Taurus vehicle that currently holds the Top 5 places in the category and finished third today behind 19-year-old Eryk Goczal and his uncle Michal. Eryk’s father Marek was fourth on today’s stage and the Goczal brigade still occupies all three podium spots in the general classification. Then comes Guthrie Jr. , 17m 7s behind the race leader, with the fifth MCE-5 Taurus of Cristina Gutiérrez just a couple of minutes behind. Guthrie Jr., 27, said: “Stage Two was a lot of fun and definitely a lot better than the first one. Today was much faster, but there were still some dunes and also rocky areas.”
– Another intense day awaits on Stage 3, where a 440km special featuring vast dunes separates the competitors from the next bivouac in Al Salamiya. There, team mechanics will have just two hours to work on the race vehicles before the competitors continue to a Marathon Stage bivouac.
- 2024 Dakar Rally overall standings after Stage 2
- Ultimate Car
- 1. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 8h 49m 38s
- 2. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU) +1m 51s
- 3. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) +4m 17s
- Challenger Car
- 1. Eryk Goczal (POL) 9h 39m 40s
- 2. Michał Goczal (POL) +1m 19s
- 3. Marek Goczel (POL) +11m 24s
- Bike
- 1. Ross Branch (BWA) 9h 50m 5s
- 2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL) +2m 55s
- 3. Ricky Brabec (USA) +7m 15s
