MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • Josh Moffett lifts another Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally winner’s trophy
  • Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar International Baja
  • Alfa Romeo F1 Driver Valtteri Bottas picks up his new Alfa Giulia GTAm
  • All go at Mondello Park – Events during 2023
  • Alpine A110 San Remo 73 limited edition pays tribute to the brand’s glorious rallying past
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Thrilling start to Dakar as Saudi brings tough new challenges

Jan 05, 2020


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Tweet

Defending bike champion Toby Price nabs early stage win amid tricky terrain.

The 2020 Dakar Rally kicked off the first-ever race to be held in Saudi Arabia on Sunday as 342 vehicles took off on the opening stage, racing 752km from Jeddah to Al Wajh. Here’s all you need to know:

– It was a pre-sunrise start for the Dakar convoy, as the bikes set off first on the desert route to Al Wajh, followed by the quads, cars, side-by-sides and finally the trucks.

– Defending champion Toby Price (AUS) of Red Bull KTM Factory Team took the stage win and secured the fastest time of day, all while riding blind after his roadbook tore completely at the 15km mark.

– Price was given a two-minute penalty but managed to edge out Ricky Brabec (USA), second, followed by fellow KTM teammate Matthias Walkner (AUT), third, trailing just forty seconds behind.

– Price revealed: “It went well. It was a hard day, but it went well. My roadbook walked out on me after 15-odd kilometres, so it was strange. I was quite lucky in one way because I managed to follow on some dust and just keep up with the guys. Once the road book is gone, then you’re pretty much driving blind. At the moment it looks good on paper, but I think we have a bit of a penalty coming. It’s not the greatest start, but it’s still a long rally to go. We’re in good shape, we feel good on the bike, and we’re happy.”

– Price and Walkner’s fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Team riders, Sam Sunderland (GBR) and Luciano Benavides (ARG,) are also in the striking distance, remaining in the Top 10 after the first day of racing.

– In the car category, English navigation proved to be a new challenge between Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) and co-driver Paulo Fiuza (PRT) as costly errors opened up the lead for surprise winner Vaidotas Zala (LTU) of Team Agrorodeo, with Peterhansel crossing the line in second.

– Stéphane Peterhansel revealed: “We wandered around a bit and must have lost three to five minutes looking for a hidden waypoint. The directions were hard to understand in English; I must be going soft in the head. In twenty-one editions of the Dakar, I’ve never had a co-driver talk to me in English.”

– In third place is Peterhansel’s fellow MINI Buggy driver Carlos Sainz (ESP), just one place ahead of defending car class champion Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT). Al-Attiyah led the stage for most of the day before a succession of punctures plagued his Toyota Hilux late in the stage.

– Carlos Sainz said: “We got lost once and had to backtrack, which cost us some time. We also had a flat tyre. However, it wasn’t too bad after all because I was under the impression we’d lost fourteen or fifteen minutes. You really need to pay attention to navigation.”

– Two-time winner Ignacio Casale secured his 20th stage win, the first quad rider to achieve this feat. Casale bested Rafał Sonik by 5m36s at the summit.

– It was a brilliant stage opener for the Red Bull Off-Road Team USA SxS Rookies. Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA) scored a Top 10 on his first-ever Dakar stage. However, team-mate Blade Hildebrand (USA) has his work cut out for him, as he tries to claw back 35 minutes.

– The SxS coaching crew of Cyril Despres (FRA) and Mike Horn (SUI) were placed in the Top 5 up until kilometre 254 of the stage where overheating issues hampered their efforts the final 60 kilometres.

– In the Truck category, Team Kamaz Masters dominate with Anton Shibalov (RUS) taking the stage win with a time of 3H 40′ 35”, beating Team Maz-Sportauto with fellow Kamaz Master teammate Sonitkov, third.

– The second stage of racing takes the convoy to Neom with 401km and a Special Stage of 367km that gives riders views of the Red Sea and throws some navigational challenges into the works.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Josh Moffett lifts another Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally winner’s trophy
    Josh Moffett lifts another Clonakilty...

    Mar 20, 2023 Comments Off on Josh Moffett lifts another Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally winner’s trophy

  • Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar International Baja
    Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR...

    Mar 20, 2023 Comments Off on Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar International Baja

  • Alfa Romeo F1 Driver Valtteri Bottas picks up his new Alfa Giulia GTAm
    Alfa Romeo F1 Driver Valtteri Bottas...

    Mar 18, 2023 Comments Off on Alfa Romeo F1 Driver Valtteri Bottas picks up his new Alfa Giulia GTAm

  • All go at Mondello Park – Events during 2023
    All go at Mondello Park – Events...

    Mar 18, 2023 Comments Off on All go at Mondello Park – Events during 2023

More in this category
  • Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar International Baja
    Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR...

    Comments Off on Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar International Baja

  • Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah wins the 2023 Qatar Baja in the Toyota GR DKR Hilux
    Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah wins the 2023...

    Comments Off on Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah wins the 2023 Qatar Baja in the Toyota GR DKR Hilux

  • 2 new winners at Season 3 opener hints at closest Extreme E Championship yet
    2 new winners at Season 3 opener hints...

    Comments Off on 2 new winners at Season 3 opener hints at closest Extreme E Championship yet

  • RECORD QUALITY ENTRY FOR 2023 QATAR INTERNATIONAL BAJA
    RECORD QUALITY ENTRY FOR 2023 QATAR...

    Comments Off on RECORD QUALITY ENTRY FOR 2023 QATAR INTERNATIONAL BAJA


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • For Sale! 1991 Jordan-Ford driven by Mick Schumacher at Bonhams Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris auction
    For Sale! 1991 Jordan-Ford driven by Mick Schumacher at...

    Jan 18, 2023

    Tweet1991 Jordan-Ford driven by Mick Schumacher in 2021 to...
  • Opel Ireland partners with Mondello Park to launch 2022 EARLY-DRIVE road safety programme
    Opel Ireland partners with Mondello Park to launch 2022...

    Aug 21, 2022

    TweetA unique young driver education programme, developed...
  • Goodyear FIA ETRC pays tribute to Anthony Janiec
    Goodyear FIA ETRC pays tribute to Anthony Janiec

    Aug 07, 2022

    Tweet The Goodyear FIA ETRC, ETRA Promotion and the entire...
  • Killarney Forestry Rally to raise funds for Air Ambulance
    Killarney Forestry Rally to raise funds for Air Ambulance

    Feb 03, 2022

    TweetRally drivers from across Ireland will help fund...
  • McHugh’s Service Station, Ballindine Mayo Stages Rally, 6 March 2022
    McHugh’s Service Station, Ballindine Mayo Stages Rally, 6...

    Jan 27, 2022

    TweetMayo & District Motorsport Club, organisers of the...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • Baja
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar International Baja

Big win for Nasser & Toyota GR DKR Hilux in the Qatar...

Mar 20, 2023

TweetQatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel clinched victory in the car category in their Toyota GR DKR Hilux, while Polish KTM rider Konrad Dabrowski stayed clear of late...
Read More
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah wins the 2023 Qatar Baja in the Toyota GR DKR Hilux

Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah wins the 2023 Qatar Baja...

Mar 18, 2023

2 new winners at Season 3 opener hints at closest Extreme E Championship yet

2 new winners at Season 3 opener hints at closest...

Mar 18, 2023

RECORD QUALITY ENTRY FOR 2023 QATAR INTERNATIONAL BAJA

RECORD QUALITY ENTRY FOR 2023 QATAR INTERNATIONAL...

Mar 15, 2023

Excitement builds for closest Extreme E season yet

Excitement builds for closest Extreme E season

Mar 10, 2023

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved