In the accumulated table of the category, Andújar is in second place, 7:28 behind Giroud, which anticipates a heads-up between the last two champions until the end of the rally, on January 15.
Andújar, 26, who runs with the Boca Juniors shield on his anti-flame and the images of Maradona, Messi and the World Cup on his helmet, is looking for revenge this year for his abandonment in 2022 and at the same time increase the Argentine record of 7 coronations in quads since joining the Dakar in 2009.
For his part, Benavides, the only South American motorcycle champion (2021), suffered a small delay yesterday in the general classification, after finishing in eighth place in the stage won by the American Mason Klein (Bas World KTM), despite a 2 minute penalty.
The man from Salta, who also suffered a time surcharge (1m.), dropped from second to fourth place in the accumulated table with a difference of 2:25 compared to Klein, who displaced his compatriot Ricki Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) from first place. ).
Brabec fell to sixth place after being left out of the top 10 arrivals in the category, trailed by two other Argentines: Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna), twelfth, and Franco Caimi (Hero Motorsports), fourteenth.
The Qatari champion Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) took the victory in the cars on a negative day for a serious contender like the Frenchman Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive), who finished in 59th place, almost an hour and a half behind. , for three punctured tires.
The Arab driver led the Dutchman Erik Van Loon (Overdrive) by 14 seconds and the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Audi) by 5:05, whom he in turn escorts in the general classification with a difference of 2:12.
The French Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi), the maximum historical winner of the most extreme rally in the world, was 15th. (+32:22) and could not enter the top 10, something that Argentine Juan Cruz Yacopini (Overdrive Racing) did achieve with a ninth place (+22:27).
The day was not good for Orlando Terranova (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) from Mendoza, who was 41st. (+1:08.33) and fell from fifth to twentieth place in the accumulated classification.
In the SSV division, the Argentine Jeremías González Ferioli (South Racing Can Am) finished second behind the Polish Marek Goczal (Energylanda Rally Team), winner of the stage and leader of the rally that will run until January 15. The third part will take place today between Al-Ula and Ha’il with a route of 670 kilometers, of which some 447 will be part of the special.
Source: Ambito
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