Dakar 2020: Peterhansel wins the sixth stage, Sainz is more leader and Alonso finishes sixth

The Madrid control their two great rivals in the longest day of the first week, with prominence for the dunes.

Stphane peterhansel (Mini) was made this Friday with the victory in the sixth stage of Dakar, followed by Carlos Sainz (Mini), which slightly increased its advantage as a leader after finishing ahead of Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota), which was third in the longest special of this first week, with 477 kilometers timed between Hail and Riyadh.

Sainz only gave 1 minute and 21 seconds on Peterhansel, third overall, now 16 minutes and 32 seconds from Madrid. On Al Attiyah he increased his column in 1 minute and 45 seconds, to leave it at 7 minutes and 44 seconds.

Fernando Alonso (Toyota) was sixth, at 7:56 Peterhansel, showing a high level in the dunes, where he had already anticipated that he feels more comfortable. The Spaniard rolled again to the rhythm of the favorites, a ethnic only broken by punctual misfortunes, like the day that broke a wheel in the middle of the dust or the Wednesday, when after three punctures he was left without spare wheels.

Saturday, rest

Thus, the race reaches its rest day with Carlos Sainz as a leader with a tight difference but with the feeling of great strength in command of the Mini buggy.

In spite of the pressure to which Peterhansel and Al Attiyah They try to subdue Sainz, the Madrid has led in the last few days with hardly any errors, which has allowed him to face the second part of the race in very favorable conditions.

The second place charges even more value for Sainz having been the first car to take the exit and be in charge of opening the track. This work can take advantage of its direct rivals, but the Spaniard has squeezed thoroughly and squeezed his car to keep them at bay.

Also on sand

This day was the first to be played entirely on sand, where Sainz showed that it is as fast and competitive as the previous days, when the rally took place on hard tracks and mountain roads with rocks, dust and many stones.

On Saturday, the rest day arrives in Riyadh before embarking on the second half of the race, where the vehicles will enter the Rub Al-Jali desert, also known as the “Empty Room” of Arabia, a practically uninhabited extension of 650,000 square kilometers