DAKAR: Loeb wins Stage 2

Making his Dakar debut, nine-time WRC champ Sebastien Loeb and Team Peugeot Total dominated a rain-affected Stage 2 of this year’s race.

The Frenchman and his Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena won the shortened 387 km stage in 3h 45m 46s… 2m 30s in front of Team Peugeot Total teammate and multiple Dakar winner Stephane Peterhansel.

Next up were the locally built Toyota Hiluxs with Russia’s Vladimir Vasilyev originally finishing third, but getting a time penalty that pushed him down to sixth. That moved SA’s Giniel de Villiers up from fourth into third place for the stage.

“We went pretty well. We didn’t go absolutely mad, but we tried to go at a good pace,” said de Villiers. “The beginning of the stage was obviously a lot drier than we thought. I thought it was going to be much wetter, but it was fine. In the middle there was a big mud hole which was really tricky. We managed to go round but I saw a few cars that were stuck there. Other than that we had a good stage and a good run.”

De Viller’s Team Toyota Gazoo Racing SA teammate Leeroy Poulter was also bumped up from sixth to be classified in fifth position.

Of the other notable drivers in the race, ex-WRC driver Mikko Hirvonen was fourth in his All4 Racing Mini, while Cyril Despres in another Peugeot was seventh. Defending Dakar champion Nassar Al-Attiyah gave up five minutes on Loeb to end ninth after time spent stuck in the mud and also a puncture to fix, but is well placed to attack tomorrow. former Daker and WRC champ Carlos Sainz, the fourth member of the Peugeot convey, lost 12 minutes due to engine-related trouble midway through the stage and is down in 14th place.

2016 Dakar Rally Stage Two Results
CARS

1. Sébastien Loeb, Peugeot 03:45:46
2. Stéphane Peterhansel, Peugeot +00:02:23
3. Giniel de Villiers, Toyota +00:03:010
4. Mikko Hirvonen , Mini+00:03:05
5. Leeroy Poulter, Toyota +00:3:20
6. Vladimir Vasilyev , Toyota +00:02:38
7. Cyril Despres, Peugeot +00:04:00
80
8. Bernhard Ten Brink, Toyota +00:5:02
9. Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mini +00:04:18
10. Martin Prokop, Toyota +00:04:25

2016 Dakar Rally Overall Ranking
CARS

1. Sébastien Loeb, Peugeot 03:52:03
2. Stéphane Peterhansel, Peugeot +00:02:23
3. Giniel de Villiers, Toyota +00:03:01
4. Mikko Hirvonen , Mini+00:03:03
5. Leeroy Poulter, Toyota +00:3:40
6. Vladimir Vasilyev , Toyota +00:02:42
7. Bernhard Ten Brink, Toyota +00:4:53
8. Cyril Despres, Peugeot +00:05:00
9. Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mini +00:05:14
10. Martin Prokop, Toyota +00:05:29