Audi veteran Stephane Peterhansel showcased his prowess, leaving competitors behind in the dust during a gruelling 463km race through the winding dunes of the Saudi desert in the challenging stage two of the Dakar Rally on Sunday.
Notably, only Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time rally world champion, managed to come close to Peterhansel, finishing 29 seconds behind, while American rookie Seth Quintero secured the third position, trailing by 3 minutes and 11 seconds.
Peterhansel, at 58 years old, achieved his 50th Dakar Rally stage win, making him a joint record holder with Ari Vatanen. Reflecting on the milestone, Peterhansel remarked, "I stopped counting a long time ago, but it's good to know I can still beat him."
Despite Peterhansel's victory on the stage, the overall lead belongs to Audi's Carlos Sainz, who clocked 8 hours, 49 minutes, and 38 seconds. Sainz holds a lead of 1 minute and 51 seconds over Saudi Arabian Yazeed Al Rajhi, who finished fifth on Sunday. Sebastien Loeb occupies the third position overall, trailing by 4 minutes and 17 seconds. Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah secured the fourth position in the stage, finishing 6 minutes and 28 seconds behind.
In the motorbike section, Honda's Ignacio Cornejo secured the win with a lead of 5 minutes and 59 seconds over Luciano Benavides. Meanwhile, Botswana's Ross Branch maintains the overall lead.
Monday's stage covers a 438km run from Al-Duwamsimi to Al-Salamiya, featuring varied terrain, from dunes to jagged rocky sections.
