LOEB GIVES BRX LEAD IN WORLD TITLE RACE AS AL ATTIYAH SECURES FIFTH DAKAR RALLY WIN

 LOEB GIVES BRX LEAD IN WORLD TITLE RACE AS

AL ATTIYAH SECURES FIFTH DAKAR RALLY WIN

 

Chicherit makes it nine stage victories for Prodrive Hunter

 

Dammam, Saudi Arabia: 15th January, 2023:  Sebastien Loeb gave Bahrain Raid Xtreme the lead in the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship today as Nasser Al Attiyah secured his fifth Dakar Rally victory in Saudi Arabia.

 

Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq took the final 136km stage from Al-Hofuf to Dammam for their second success in this year’s event, and a ninth Prodrive Hunter win out of 14 stages in the toughest Dakar since the rally moved to Saudi three years ago.

 

After powering his BRX Prodrive Hunter into the record books with a sixth stage victory in a row 24 hours earlier, Loeb coasted to the finish in Dammam to secure his second successive overall Dakar runner-up spot with co-driver Fabian Lurquin.

 

While Al Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel won by1 hr 20 mins 49 secs overall in their Toyota, Loeb’s fourth fastest time today, following seven stage wins overall, gave him a two-point lead over the Qatari after the first of five rounds in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).

 

The nine-time World Rally Champion said: “Congratulations to Nasser and Mathieu, and Toyota. They’re great rivals to fight with on the stages. We look forward to the next battle.”

 

That will come in next month’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, where Loeb will look to build on his W2RC lead, with further rounds to follow in Mexico, Argentina and Morocco.

The Frenchman will carry a great deal of confidence forward, after the BRX Prodrive Hunter provide itself to be more than a match for all its main rivals over some of the most demanding desert terrain on earth.

 

Having started with a New Year’s Eve Prologue on Saudi’s Red Sea Coast, the 45th Dakar Rally presented a daunting series of challenges along a rout of almost 5,000km, and the Hunter passed every test with flying colours.

 

While a series of punctures and other setbacks ultimately frustrated Loeb’s bid for a first Dakar triumph, it seems only a matter of time before more wins arrive to add to those he secured in Andalucia, and Chicherit produced in Morocco, three months ago.

 

Chicherit’s second stage win today underlined the power of his top flight challenge in one of the Prodrive Hunters that ran throughout the event on EcoPower fuel, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to petrol.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Qatar Airways named title sponsor of Royal Challengers Bangalore

Image
 Qatar Airways named title sponsor of Royal Challengers Bangalore The group has also introduced RCB Innovation Lab, a service that generates insights, ideas, methodologies and products that shape the future of sports. Qatar Airways has been officially named the main principal partner by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday. Rajesh Menon, Vice President & Head of RCB, announced it last night at the RCB Unbox event at Chinnaswamy stadium. Muthoot Fincorp sponsored RCB for three years.  RCB has also taken a giant step forward in merging sports and lifestyle with the introduction of RCB Innovation Lab.  It aims to generate insight, ideas, methodologies and products that shape the future of sports in India. At the core of this aim is an aspiration to develop adaptable people and leaders, capable of driving performance improvement and excellence on and off the field.  RCB innovation Lab is based on two principles, to bring sports innovation to as many people and to collaborate wit
Read more

INSPIRATIONAL CHOPRA TO LAUNCH WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE DEFENCE IN DOHA

Image
 INSPIRATIONAL CHOPRA TO LAUNCH WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE DEFENCE IN DOHA Chopra is an inspirational figure and has blazed a trail for Indian athletes throughout his career to date. He was the first Indian track and field athlete to set a world record (under-20) when he threw 86.48m to win the 2016 World U20 Championships, which was also the first time an Indian athlete had won a global track and field title. He won javelin gold at the 2018 Asian Games, the first Indian athlete to do so, and made history in Tokyo when he became the country’s first Olympic gold medallist in track and field. The former Commonwealth Games champion (2018), who improved his lifetime best by almost two metres with a throw of 89.94m for second at last year’s BAUHAUS-Galan in Stockholm, was crowned 2022 Wanda Diamond League champion. Due to injury, Chopra unfortunately missed the 2022 Doha Meeting. It was an event that presented spectators with a javelin masterclass as two national records were broken, including th
Read more

Qatar Airways Renews Partnership with Al Sadd Sports Club as Official Jersey Partner in a Multi-Year Year Partnership

Image
  Qatar Airways Renews Partnership with Al Sadd Sports Club as Official Jersey Partner in a Multi-Year Year Partner ship   The award-winning airline teamed up with Qatar’s most successful football club since 2018     DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways is delighted to announce the extension of its enduring partnership with Al Sadd Sports Club, the most successful football team in Qatar's history, as the primary jersey partner in a multi-year deal. This renewal reaffirms the shared commitment of both organizations to the advancement of sports and excellence in football. The partnership between Qatar Airways and Al Sadd Sports Club commenced in 2018, and over the years, it has demonstrated its strong foundation, further strengthening the bonds between the two entities. Through this association, Qatar Airways continues to show its dedication to supporting Qatar's sports community and fostering a positive impact on local and global football.   Qatar Airways Group Chief Exec
Read more