Dakar 2020 – Peterhansel relaunches, Al-Attiyah threatens Sainz

“Monsieur Dakar” should never be buried. Difficulty understanding his co-driver Paulo Fiuza's English notes, Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini) won the 44th stage victory on a Dakar, this Wednesday January 8 during the fourth stage of the 2020 edition between Neom and Al-Ula.

« We managed to have calmer and more precise communication with my co-pilot, it’s getting better and better, rejoices the former biker. This new Dakar is great, it has all the ingredients: the beauty of the landscapes, the complexity of the navigation, the selection by the hardness of the event. It’s a faultless one from the organizer so far.”

Le Français, sur son buggy Mini, a devancé de 2’26’’ l’équipage Al-Attiyah-Baumel (Toyota). Il se rapproche ainsi à une grosse dizaine de minutes du leader de l’épreuve, qui n’est autre que son équipier Carlos Sainz (Mini).

The Spaniard, associated with Lucas Cruz, wanted to continue his momentum after a stage victory on Monday. The double winner of the Dakar was satisfied with third time, but saw Nasser Al-Attiyah pounce on him in the general classification (3'03''). 

A special mention must be awarded to Matthew Serradori. With his South African Century buggy, the private driver is the only competitor in the top 10 not belonging to the X-Raid and Toyota armadas ! The Frenchman is sixth overall, ahead of former winner Giniel de Villiers (Toyota). 

On the side of the former winners, Nani Roma and Daniel Oliveras are taking on the plasters of the new Borgward 4×4. The driver, winner in 2014, stopped in the desert for at least half an hour due to a mechanical problem. 

The day after a promising day, Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma (Toyota) are back in line. The Spanish crew concedes more than 20 minutes at the finish. 

Ranking Dakar 2020 Stage 4:

General ranking after Step 4: