Intense Competition Unfolds in Saudi Arabia's Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia saw defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi face penalties, while Guillaume de Mevius claimed the lead. Nasser Al-Attiyah places second. Meanwhile, in the motorcycle category, Edgar Canet held his lead, despite Ross Branch losing time due to speeding penalties.

In Saudi Arabia's grueling Dakar Rally, defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi encountered setbacks as he incurred 16 minutes of penalties during the opening stage on home ground. His oversights placed him 29 minutes behind the leader, Belgian Guillaume de Mevius, with 12 stages remaining.

Qatar's veteran driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, competing for the Dacia Sandriders, closely trailed de Mevius. Al-Attiyah opted for a cautious approach after witnessing teammate Sebastien Loeb suffer setbacks due to flat tires.

Czech Martin Prokop held the third position, as Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden pursued a close fourth. In motorcycles, despite Ross Branch clocking the fastest stage time, Spaniard Edgar Canet maintained his lead following the prologue, with teammate Daniel Sanders and American Ricky Brabec closely trailing.

(With inputs from agencies.)