Peterhansel snatches stage 2 to lead Dakar Rally
Source: Agencies |
January 8, 2013, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DEFENDING champion Stephane Peterhansel took the overall lead in the Dakar Rally on Sunday by winning a treacherous second stage around Pisco, Peru, which was costly for some title favorites.
Peterhansel, the rally's most successful driver with 10 victories, took more than two and a half hours to complete the 240-kilometer loop around the Peruvian city that was entirely on sand, and it earned a record 60th career stage win for the man they call "Mr. Dakar."
In jumping from sixth to first in the overall, the Frenchman in the Mini gave all the credit to co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret, who has been beside him for all of his record-tying four wins in a car, following six on motorcycles.
"We're fast, and we've got the potential to go even faster, but it was mostly Jean-Paul's navigation which saved the day, nothing else," Peterhansel said.
The other podium finishers also matched their overall standings. Giniel de Villiers of South Africa, the champ four years ago, was 2 minutes, 38 seconds behind overall in second in a Toyota, and Ronan Chabot of France was 3:46 back in third in a buggy.
Meanwhile, navigation problems dogged recent champs Nasser Al-Attiyah and Carlos Sainz. Al-Attiyah was sixth overall, 10:25 down, and first-stage winner Sainz fell to 11th, 16:21 behind. Nani Roma, last year's runner-up, lost more than 20 minutes to trail by more than 24 minutes in 15th place.
The good news for Roma was that his protege, Joan Barreda, easily won the bike stage on his Husqvarna and has an overall lead of three and a half minutes.
Ruben Faria of Portugal, fourth on the stage, was second overall.
Peterhansel, the rally's most successful driver with 10 victories, took more than two and a half hours to complete the 240-kilometer loop around the Peruvian city that was entirely on sand, and it earned a record 60th career stage win for the man they call "Mr. Dakar."
In jumping from sixth to first in the overall, the Frenchman in the Mini gave all the credit to co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret, who has been beside him for all of his record-tying four wins in a car, following six on motorcycles.
"We're fast, and we've got the potential to go even faster, but it was mostly Jean-Paul's navigation which saved the day, nothing else," Peterhansel said.
The other podium finishers also matched their overall standings. Giniel de Villiers of South Africa, the champ four years ago, was 2 minutes, 38 seconds behind overall in second in a Toyota, and Ronan Chabot of France was 3:46 back in third in a buggy.
Meanwhile, navigation problems dogged recent champs Nasser Al-Attiyah and Carlos Sainz. Al-Attiyah was sixth overall, 10:25 down, and first-stage winner Sainz fell to 11th, 16:21 behind. Nani Roma, last year's runner-up, lost more than 20 minutes to trail by more than 24 minutes in 15th place.
The good news for Roma was that his protege, Joan Barreda, easily won the bike stage on his Husqvarna and has an overall lead of three and a half minutes.
Ruben Faria of Portugal, fourth on the stage, was second overall.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
