2024 Dakar Rally Stage 2 Report: Peterhansel's Historic Win And Sainz's Surge To Lead

In a stunning turn of events at the 2024 Dakar Rally's second stage, rally legend Stephane Peterhansel etched his name in history with his 50th career win, while Carlos Sainz Sr. seized the top spot in the car category.

Peterhansel, who faced setbacks on the first day due to punctures, made an extraordinary comeback on the 464 km stage from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi. The 14-time Dakar winner secured a narrow 29-second victory over Sebastien Loeb from Prodrive, steadily leading the pack throughout the stage.

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Despite an unexpected lead by Toyota's Seth Quintero at one point, Peterhansel reclaimed his position and defended his lead fiercely. Loeb, displaying impressive pace, trailed Peterhansel by a mere five seconds at one stage but ultimately settled for second place, significantly ahead of Quintero.

Meanwhile, Al-Attiyah, initially a strong contender, slipped to 11th but recovered to finish fourth. Yazeed Al-Rajhi from Overdrive Toyota secured fifth place, surpassing teammate Guerlain Chicherit.

Prologue winner Mattias Ekstrom faced a setback, losing considerable time compared to his teammate Peterhansel. Carlos Sainz Sr landed in a commendable eighth place, while Lucas Moraes and Martin Prokop rounded out the top 10.

Notably, Guillaume de Mevius, the previous stage's winner, had a lacklustre run, securing a provisional 19th position and ceding substantial time to the frontrunners.

Sainz's consistency after the second stage propelled him to the overall lead, standing 1 minute 51 seconds ahead of Al-Rajhi, with Loeb leaping to third place, 4 minutes 17 seconds behind the new leader. Quintero, de Mevius, and Ekstrom follow closely.

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Despite Peterhansel's remarkable stage victory, he only managed to climb to ninth place overall, trailing Moraes' Toyota. Chicherit currently holds the crucial tenth position in the standings.

On a much more concerning note, Spanish rider Carles Falcon was involved in a severe crash during the second stage, resulting in his hospitalisation and induction into a coma.

Riding for the TwinTrail Racing Team aboard a Rally2-Spec KTM, Falcon encountered the devastating accident around the 448 km mark of Sunday's 463 km test from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi. Immediate assistance was rendered by a medical helicopter crew on-site, and Falcon was subsequently airlifted to Al Duwadimi Hospital for further medical attention.

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His teammate, Isaac Feliu, opted out of the race to be by Falcon's side during this critical time. The team expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and assured everyone of providing updates on Falcon's condition and recovery progress.