Marathon Stage Part 2: 246km, liaison 272km
After three consecutive stage wins for the South African competitors Gareth Woolridge, Henk Lategan and Guy Botterill, it was time for the Empire to strike back…
All three World Championship stars – Nasser Al-Attiyah, Carlos Sainz and WRC royalty Sebastien Loeb – started Thursday’s stage further down the order, a scenario that could play into their hands. Loeb got under way in tenth, Sainz twelfth and Al Attiyah seventeenth. Another contender, Henk Lategan, found himself in a similar position, but with a slight edge. The South African, who had led the overall standings two days ago, was currently fifth, just 2′09″ away from retaking the top spot, started thirteenth.
The scenario played out perfectly, with Al-Attiyah taking the fastest time over the second part of the Marathon stage, followed by Sainz in his M-Sport Ford Raptor and Mathieu Serradori who started the stage in 51st position following his retirement from stage two yesterday.
It was the Qatari’s 44th W2RC stage win.
Running first and second on the road, Guy Botterill and Saood Variawa were always going to be at a disadvantage and they plummeted down the timing screens, ending their day in 18th and 21st respectively.
Al Attiyah went through km 26 with the third-fastest time; the four men expected to contend for the stage win were living up to expectations. Lategan was quickest, one second ahead of Sainz and three clear of Al Attiyah. Loeb trailed by 13 seconds and Moraes by 30. The local trio of Daniel Schröder, Brian Baragwanath and Gareth Woolridge remained within striking distance at 35 and 36 seconds behind.
Al Attiyah took command of the stage having blasted his Dacia through the 56 km mark with a seven-second lead over Henk Lategan’s Hilux, who in turn was 12 seconds clear of Sainz in the Raptor and 13 up on Sébastien Loeb in the second Sandrider.
Al Attiyah remained quickest at the 90 km mark, but Lategan was just one second behind. The global star and the South African Rally-Raid champion were pulling away from the rest of the pack. Sainz trailed by 49 seconds, with Loeb at 1′54″ behind. Lucas Moraes, third overall this morning, was holding on, posting the fifth-fastest time in the special at 2′11″ back.
Lategan held a 1′01″ advantage over Al-Attiyah at km 121; the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver had clawed back a minute over the Qatari in just 30 km.
At the 155 km mark, Lategan had extended his lead over Al Attiyah to 1′18″, with Sainz sitting 2′11″ back. Lucas Moraes (+3′35″) had moved ahead of Sébastien Loeb (+4′34″).
The lead changed with Al Attiyah, over minute off the pace at the previous time check, setting the fastest time at the 178 km mark, 24 seconds ahead of Lategan. Serradori made a strong comeback, slotting ahead of Moraes and Loeb!
Loeb landed up in fourth position on the day, 53 seconds behind the Century CR-7 while Lategan ended fifth followed by Nani Roma in the second M-Sport Raptor, Moraes, Gareth Woolridge (NWM Evo Plus), Martin Prokop and Guillaume de Mevius.
In the provisional overall standings, Loeb leads Sainz by 23 seconds, with Lategan in third, seven seconds shy of the lead.
In the GP bike race, Daniel Sanders made it four from four (including the prologue) although he had to sweat a little as his Red Bull teammate Luciano Benevides fancied his chance of winning and led the stage initially. GP Champion Ross Branch, racing in virtually his backyard, claimed the final step of the day’s podium.
