Portugal’s Ricardo Mas (Yamaha) won stage 11 of the 45th edition of the all-terrain Dakar rally in the light vehicle (SSV) category on Thursday, leading the caravan into Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter desert today.
The Portuguese rider finished today’s 275 timed kilometers with a time of 03:19.11, leaving teammate João Ferreira (Yamaha) in second place, 20 seconds behind, and Chilean Ignacio Casale (Yamaha) in third, 22.
This was the second Portuguese victory in the edition of the race that took place in Saudi Arabia, after João Ferreira won the eighth stage, also in the T3 category of prototypes – successors to the ‘buggy’ – in what was the first triumph belonged to the pilot from Leiria in the Dakar.
According to the provisional classification for the stage, Hélder Rodrigues (Can-Am) was in 10th place.
On motorcycles, Argentina’s Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) won for the third time – he had already won stages 6 and 9 – beating Australians Daniel Sanders (GasGas) and Toby Price (KTM), classified second and third of the day, respectively at 01:38 and 01:57 minutes.
With today’s fourth place finish, American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) retook the lead, 28 seconds ahead of Price and 02.44 ahead of the previous leader, Argentinian Kevin Benavides (KTM).
In cars, Frenchman Sébastien Loeb (BRX) won for the fifth time in this edition, fourth in a row, crossing the finish line with a time of 02:56.14 leaving Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit (BRX) in 02:16 minutes. The Swede Mathias Ëkstrom (Audi) was third, at 02.26 minutes.
Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), who was fifth today, held the lead, 1:21.04 ahead of Brazil’s Lucas Moraes (Toyota) and 1:30.41 over Loeb.
On Friday, the second part of the marathon stage, in which the pilots have no external assistance, will take place between the camp in the desert of Quarto Vazio and Shaybah, with 185 kilometers timed.
Source: DN
