Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah (VW) has taken his second stage victory of this year’s Dakar Rally, the mega 641 kilometre seventh stage from Iquique to Antofagasta in northern Chile.
The BMW driver finished three and half minutes in front of French driver Stephane Peterhansel (BMW) and over four minutes in front of his teammate Spain’s Carlos Sainz (VW). No dramas for “El Matador” in the overall standings as the two-time World Rally Champion maintains an 11 minute lead on Al-Attiyah and a 22 minute gap on his US teammate Mark Miller.
“I am happy because this stage was very long and hard. There was a lot of navigation,” said Al-Attiyah. “I am very happy to be the winner of the longest Dakar stage this year. It means that we did our job well. All the more so that I started fourth and it’s never easy. Tomorrow we rest but stage eight will be difficult. Anyway, I will do my best each day.”
In the bikes Frenchman Cyril Despres (KTM) took the stage victory and 22nd of his Dakar career. Despite this being just his second stage win of this year’s event, he easily leads the event by 66 minutes. Today he beat rival Marc Coma (KTM) of Spain by 29 seconds and his countryman David Fretigne (Yamaha) by five minutes. Both remaining Australian riders completed the epic stage, Rob Pollard (KTM) climbed one place overall to be 42nd, while Christophe Barriere Varju (KTM) also climbed just the one place to be 57th.
In the trucks five-time Dakar winner Russian driver Vladimir Chagin (Kamaz) won today his sixth stage from the seven contested, giving him 53 for his career and in the process putting him ahead of Peterhansel! At the finish Chagin arrived over 25 minutes ahead of his teammate and countryman Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz). In the standings the “Tsar” is leisurely in the lead by 63 minutes from his faithful lieutenant Kabirov.
Tomorrow is the only rest day of the entire event, before crews get back into action on Sunday (local time) with a 472 stage from Antofagasta to Copiapo.
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Car 7th Stage results:
1. Al-Attiyah (QAT) Volkswagen 5:41:29
2. Peterhansel (FRA) BMW +0:03:29
3. Sainz (ESP) Volkswagen +0:04:21
4. Miller (USA) Volkswagen +0:08:40
5. Chicherit (FRA) BMW +0:15:33
6. De Villiers (ZAF) Volkswagen +0:21:22
7. Terranova (ARG) Mitsubishi +0:33:08
8. Holowzcyc (POL) Nissan +0:41:39
9. Misslin (FRA) Mitsubishi +0:47:26
10. Lavieille (FRA) NISSAN +1:05:07
Car Overall standings after Stage 7:
1. Sainz 26:21:23
2. Al-Attiyah +0:11:03
3. Miller +0:22:06
4. Chicherit +2:02:54
5. Peterhansel +2:03:10
6. Holowzcyc +2:20:58
7. Sousa +3:08:58
8. Spinelli +3:23:35
9. Notitskiy +4:17:21
10. Gordon +4:25:10
Bike 7th Stage results:
1. Despres (FRA) KTM 6:34:14
2. Coma (ESP) KTM +0:00:29
3. Fretigne (FRA) Yamaha +0:05:00
4. Aria (PRT) KTM +0:09:10
5. Ullevalseter (NOR) KTM +0:11:10
6. Pellicer (ESP) Yamaha +0:14:07
7. Pedrero Garcia (ESP) KTM +0:16:45
8. Berglund (SWE) KTM +0:18:38
9. Pain (FRA) Yamaha +0:21:56
10. Svitko (SVK) KTM +0:26:26
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58. Pollard (AUS) KTM +2:46:48
68. Barriere Varju (AUS) KTM +3:20:44
Bike Overall standings after Stage 7:
1. Despres 28:10:13
2. Coma +1:06:50
3. Rodrigues +1:20:08
4. Ullevalseter +1:25:52
5. Lopez Contardo +1:31:04
6. Duclos +1:50:06
7. Fretigne +2:05:57
8. Street +2:06:28
9. Pedrero Garcia +2:25:43
10. Pellicer +2:26:22
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42. Pollard +9:58:55
57. Barriere Varju +13:33:42
Truck 7th Stage results:
1. Chagin (RUS) Kamaz 6:50:20
2. Kabirov (RUS) Kamaz +0:25:35
3. Macik (CZE) Liaz +1:39:22
4. Van Vliet (NLD) Ginaf +1:40:20
5. Van Ginkel (NLD) Ginaf +1:44:29
Truck Overall standings after Stage 7:
1. Chagin 30:06:14
2. Kabarov +1:03:46
3. Van Vliet +5:47:00
4. Macik +7:04:19
5. Elfrink +8:04:14
