Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah wins Dakar for fifth time

Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah won the Dakar Rally car crown for the fifth time on Sunday while Argentinian KTM rider Kevin Benavides triumphed on two wheels to take his second title in Saudi Arabia. 

Al-Attiyah, the reigning champion for Toyota with co-driver Mathieu Baumel, finished the final 14th stage to Dammam on the Gulf coast with a lead of 1hr  20 min over France’s nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb.

The Qatari, who led from stage three as rivals hit trouble, now ranks second in the list of winners in the car category behind eight times champion Stephane Peterhansel of France.

Peterhansel, the “Mr Dakar” who retired from this year’s edition after crashing his electric hybrid Audi, has also won the motorcycle crown six times.

Loeb had won a record six stages in a row up to Sunday for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team but compatriot Guerlain Chicherit took the final honours in Dammam.

Brazilian rookie Lucas Moraes finished third overall in a Toyota Hilux for Overdrive Racing.

Benavides beat Australian Toby Price, also a double Dakar champion who had started the day 12 sec clear, by 43 sec after winning the final sprint to victory.

American Skyler Howes finished third overall for the Husqvarna factory team.

“The first point is disappointment. We’ve come so far, but look, Kevin’s done a great job,” said Price, who had to turn back for two missed way points that cost him the race.

“Hard to take at the moment, but at the end of the day I’m going home in one piece and we got a Dakar trophy. It hurts a little bit.”

Frenchman Alexandre Giroud won the quad bike title for the second year in a row.

Reuters