Volkswagen One-Two-Three: Sainz Strikes Back, But Al-Attiyah Maintains Lead

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY – January 12, 2011: With their one-two-three stage victory the Volkswagen factory drivers continue to keep the battle at the head of the Dakar Rally field exciting: Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), who hold the overall lead in a Race Touareg 3 after nine stages from Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), staged a no-holds-barred battle for seconds with their Spanish team mates. With his fifth stage victory Sainz moved to within 3 minutes 18 seconds of the leader after losing the top spot yesterday – a tiny value according to “Dakar” standards.

Today’s stage of the Dakar Rally ran around Copiapó. Al-Attiyah, the rally professional form Qatar, initially led. As yesterday’s winner he had to open the stage. Disbelieving faces then after 63 stage kilometres: The favourites passed the second control point with times identical to the second. Thereafter Sainz pulled away and won by 1 minute 56 seconds. A tyre failure later caused Nasser Al-Attiyah to drop back, however the Arab used his skills as dune expert to reduce the gap to Sainz again. As a result the diesel powered Race Touareg has won eight of the nine Dakar Rally stages held so far. Volkswagen has topped the overall standings without interruption since the rally has started.

Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA), who drive two other Race Touareg cars, finished the stage in third and fifth positions respectively. Last year’s winner de Villiers strengthened his third place in the process, while Miller remains fifth in the rally. The day’s fourth fastest time went to Volkswagen’s closest rival: Stéphane Peterhansel in the X-raid-BMW arrived at the finish 11 minutes 14 seconds behind and remains fourth overall.

The ninth stage was reduced from the original 235 kilometres to 207. It nevertheless offered the typical varied “Dakar” terrain: Hard sand and dune sections with camel grass vegetation to begin, stony gravel sections with a dry river bed to cross in the middle sector and more sandy dune crossings to conclude formed the character of this special stage. Lots of knocks and bangs shook the drivers who all emphasised the physical efforts. Original comments from Timo Gottschalk, co-driver of Nasser Al-Attiyah: “Today absolutely everything hurts.”