Sainz saved from Dakar disaster against Loeb in a heart-stopping day!

Within Dakar, until the last meter you cannot claim victory. He knows Carlos Sainzwho asked for calm these days despite his broad leadership against the Loeb and his perfect management of his advantage against the Frenchman. And the hardest race in the world proved the Spaniard right. Carlos Sainz He saved an important day, a stage 10 that could have made things very complicated for the Spaniard and that was about to give wings to Loeb who after stage 9 seemed touched and sunk. The Spaniard had to stop for 18 minutes due to two punctures in the second part of the stage, at kilometer 248 (of 371). while Loeb absolutely accelerated, as if there was no tomorrow, to get within 4 minutes of the virtual general classification of the race and once again show its head in the fight for victory. But Carlos managed to get out of that hole with a final return that could cost a ‘Touareg’.

Just after Sainz’s problems, Sébastien Loeb, rubbing his hands, had to stop for 5 minutes at kilometer 300. This left the Spaniard breathless. Carlos, with a great finish, saved an important day, a heart attack, a roller coaster of emotions, to ultimately giving up only 7 minutes of the 16 he lost to the Frenchman.

Days like this are where the Dakar is won. Not only in the successes on the stage. Also knows how to suffer in moments when you have a lot to lose and little to gain. Carlos saved a goal-scoring chance without a goalkeeper between the posts to prevent a rival draw. If it is placed 4 minutes away, the end of the rally will be a head-to-head duel in the desert between two of the greatest in rally history. A Carlos who wants to avoid going through that He gave everything in the last kilometer to face the last two days of Dakar 2024 with an advantage of 13 minutes and 22 seconds against Loeb.

Another important reaction

Carlos Sainz, at 61 years old, accompanied by his navigator Lucas Cruz, performs perfectly in the important moments. He did it in stage 6, with a perfect strategy with Cruz that allowed them to take the first important blow in the general classification. Without making a mistake, they continued to advance and did not fall into the trap of Loeb, who, attacking as much as possible, sought to put pressure on the Spanish men. Sainz stayed in his place waiting for a mistake from ‘Seb’ which came at the crucial moment of stage 8, when he went on a blistering pace to cut in half the advantage that Carlos faced in the race for two day. second week Stage 7 started in 29′ and Loeb was 15 minutes behind in the virtual general classification until he suffered a navigation problem that left him 24 minutes behind ‘Matador’. On stage 9, Carlos managed his margin to reach stage 10 with 20 minutes.

In that context, The man from Madrid faced the last three days in a very good position because he had the help of his teammates, Ekström and Peterhansel, united in his goal for Audi to win the rally.. Meanwhile, Loeb had to watch as Al-Attiyah left him stranded and completely abandoned him to go clay pigeon shooting before the Olympics, leaving him without a squire in case of problems or holes. “I’ll do it myself, even if it’s not the best”said the French.

But the Dakar is always a surprise. Things can change at any moment. It almost happened to Carlos, helped by Ekström and Peterhansel. ‘El Matador’ got the Frenchman’s punch and his great final speed to take a breather. Loeb, for his part, suffered the bad luck he complained about the day before, regretting that he had more setbacks than Carlos and saying that with pure speed it was very difficult to overcome such a distance from three-time Dakar champion. Carlos dealt a moral blow to Loeb. The Alsatian came to have candy in his mouth, with the taste of fully entering the match to leave his rivalry with the Spanish almost at a draw for the last two days. But Carlos’s piercing and return took it away from him.

Last chance for Loeb

Only two stages left. This Thursday, stage 11, 480 timed kilometers. And the last one, on Friday, 175 km. Loeb will need to attack now and take maximum risks, hoping for some backsliding for Sainz, if he wants to fight for the win on Friday. Very complicated for him, but he will try in a finale in pure WRC style for him, where he will have to go full throttle as if they were stages of the World Rally Championship. Any failure by Loeb could leave him almost permanently. You can’t afford a mistake. And Carlos, for his part, couldn’t trust himself. You have 13 minutes left, but nothing is decided. This is the Dakar, the toughest test in the world.