Rally-Raid Portugal – The 3rd stage causes the retirement of Chicherit, the slowdown of Loeb, the roll of Al-Rajhi and the victory of Al-Attiyah

Rally-Raid Portugal classification, Stage 3:

General classification :

• The new event of the 2024 season of the World Championship rally-raid (W2RC) definitely does damage! This third stage, 388 km long, caused the abandonment of Guerlain Chicherit and Mathieu Baumel (Toyota). The French duo has definitely stopped, out of action.
• “After having signed the scratch in the first intermediate of the day, we had to return to the bivouac due to a mechanical incident occurring when crossing a ford, declared Guerlain Chicherit. And as this is our second consecutive withdrawal (he had already had an identical problem on Thursday. Editor’s note), we no longer have a joker and therefore cannot leave tomorrow. We will therefore have to be satisfied with the 5 points scored yesterday at the World Championship W2RC."
• Brilliant second place in the previous stage, Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin (Taurus in Challenger class) slipped in the rankings due to mechanical problems. “Almost an hour lost after an engine overheated... We managed to reach the finish after doing a little mechanics. »
• “El Matador” Carlos Sainz, switched to a Mini JCW T1+ due to the end of the Audi rally-raid program, ended the day without a front hood or windshield wiper. Overall, however, he remains second behind Nasser Al-Attiyah (Prodrive):

 

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•  Yazeed Al Rajhi, who had taken control of the special and the general this morning, then stopped for around twenty minutes. On arrival, his co-driver Timo Gottschalk confided that their Hilux had rolled over before coming to rest on its side. It took a while for the crew to get the Toyota back on its wheels and set off again. With assistance and limited time in Badajoz this evening, the Saudi not only loses time today but he may still pay the price tomorrow.

• In terms of experience and caution too, Nasser Al-Attiyah and his new French co-driver Édouard Boulanger were the fastest. The Qatari driver consolidates his leadership position in Rally-Raid Portugal two days from the finish.