Sebastien Loeb’s sensational Dakar Rally debut continued Tuesday when he topped the podium for the second time in two days with victory in the third stage of the gruelling two-week rally-raid.
France’s nine-time world rally champion, driving a Peugeot, clocked 2hr 9min 39sec over 190km between the Argentinian towns of Termas de Rio Hondo and San Salvador de Jujuy to consolidate his place atop the overall standings.
Mini-driving defending champion Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar sits in fifth place overall, 6min 50sec adrift of Loeb, and just behind the Mini of Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen, Loeb’s former WRC rival who is also making his race debut.
Spain’s Joan Barreda Bort, on a Honda, won the motorcycle section of the stage, shortened because of bad weather. Argentina’s Kevin Benavides and Portugal’s Paulo Goncalves finished in second and third respectively to make it a Honda sweep of the stage. – Agence France-Presse
