Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (Peugeot) finished the thirteenth and penultimate stage of the 2018 Dakar even more rally leader, due to the accident suffered by Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (Peugeot), who is temporarily off the podium.
The stage, between San Juan and Córdoba (Argentina), the second longest of this Dakar, with 929 kilometers, of which 369 were timed, was won by Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), who is now second overall, 46 minutes behind Sainz.
Sainz finished the stage in sixth position, more than 19 minutes behind Al-Attiyah, without taking any risks to arrive with enough advantage to the last stage, to be contested on Saturday, in which he has everything in his favor to win his second Dakar in his illustrious career.
Peterhansel, Sainz's teammate, is temporarily out of the podium after losing nearly 45 minutes to repair his car after crashing into a tree in the first part of the stage and breaking a wheel, power steering, and steering column.
The Frenchman was also injured in the crash, with a sprained thumb on his right hand, which prevented him from completing the route in optimal conditions.
The last stage of the 2018 Dakar will start and finish in the city of Córdoba, and will be the second shortest of the rally, with a timed section of 120 kilometers through the mountains near that city, whose sectors are used by the Argentine round of the World Rally Championship, where Sainz has already driven and triumphed.
Once the stage is finished, the drivers will head to the city center to pass through the finish line podium to the applause of the fans and thus put the finishing touch to two weeks of competition in which they have covered almost 9,000 kilometers through Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. (EFE)
PREVIEW:
The dunes, that terrible terrain that caused many favorites to abandon the 2018 Dakar Rally, make their final appearance in the competition. This Friday (7:30 am) the 13th stage will begin, from San Juan to Córdoba, the city where the race will finish.
With Spaniard Carlos Sainz leading the way, this will be the penultimate opportunity for Stéphane Peterhansel and Nasser Al-Attiyah to close the gap with the Peugeot driver.
This will also be a decisive stage for the motorcycles and quad bikes as stage 12 was cancelled due to bad weather. The organization tried to provide an alternative route, but the riders refused due to the risks it presented.
This stage, which covers 560 km of liaison, of which 369 will be timed. The dunes will make their final appearance, while the fesh fesh will challenge several crews.