Carlos Sainz and co driver Lucas Cruz took a second stage win yesterday as the Spanish duo finished the longest leg of this year’s event 52 seconds ahead of teammates Nasser Al-Attiyah and Timo Gottshchalk. The third car in was the Race Touareg of Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford, 4 minutes 30 seconds behind Al-Attiyah.
Still in the overall lead, Sainz and Cruz lost time to Al-Attiyah and Gottschalk on Wednesday – the result of two punctures – but managed to extend the lead to over five minutes overall once again on Thursday’s stage 12. The day was marked by competitors passing a nature reserve (off limits for this kind of event no doubt) during the 476 km long special.
“It was a bit quick, not dangerous but tricky. I didn’t have any problems. Everything’s fine,” Sainz said.
Al-Attiyah did his best not to lose too much time to Sainz, who’s been thriving on the conditions experienced during the last few days.
“It was quick with some unbelievable parts. Sometimes the car was on 4 wheels, sometimes on 3, sometimes even 2. In some places the track was steeper than I have ever seen, almost vertical. I didn’t lose much time, so it’s been a good day. I feel good about tomorrow, even great,” Al-Attiyah said last night.
But after spending most of this year’s Dakar trailing behind Sainz, time’s running out for the Qatari to make his move on the former WRC champion.
“I was sleeping a little this morning and lost a few second to Carlos. But later in the day I pushed really hard to finish only 50 seconds behind. Tomorrow is very important day for the rally. I am going full attack to make up time on Carlos,” Al-Attiyah told CAR associate editor Sudhir Matai, who’s attending the event.
Today’s stage, from San Rafael to Santa Rosa in Argentina is the penultimate leg of this year’s Dakar before the race climaxes on the way to Buenos Aires tomorrow. How will the cards play out for the lead VWs? Well, there’s still plenty of km before the finish. Anything can happen in the Dakar.
