The Al-Attiyah-Peterhansel duel resumes for the final sprint

La sixième étape du Dakar 2019 entre Arequipa et San Juan de Marcona (Pérou) est l’occasion pour les concurrents d’entamer la deuxième semaine d’effort. Au classement général Auto, l’avantage est tenu par le duo Nasser Al-Attiyah-Mathieu Baumel (Toyota). Le Qatari et le Français comptent deux victoires d’étape à leur actif et surtout a lead of 25' over Stéphane Peterhansel-David Castera (Mini).

The double winner of the event (in 2010 and 2015) remains calm despite the stakes of a very first victory for Toyota. “I have to control Stéphane. He's the most dangerous man now. We increased our lead (Friday)”he welcomes. 

3:30 am
Let's go for 443 km of connection # dakar2019 #early # ss6@AlAttiyahN driving@matthieubaumel sleeping pic.twitter.com/b1ejrW2v0L

— Mathieu Baumel (@matthieubaumel) 13th January 2019

Indeed, the last kilometers of the fifth stage cost Stéphane Peterhansel dearly. The record holder for success on this rally-raid remained planted in a fesh-fesh zone, and had to wait for help from his teammate Nani Roma. About twenty minutes passed in the meantime.

“30-40 km from the finish, I went wide in a hairpin. There was a meter of fesh-fesh that the competitors had turned over yesterday, and we landed on our stomachs, relates the French. Impossible to get out with the jacks and the plates, it was Nani who got us out of the situation by pulling us out with the rope. All this for being three meters too wide... 

The leader of the X-Raid team is critical of himself. « I made too many mistakes on this first part of rally to be in front. But in front of us there is only a Toyota and it is not always one hundred percent reliable. A lot can still happen. »

First element of response Sunday evening after the arrival of the 501 kilometer long stage, including 309 special stages.