Dakar 2024: Loeb on the relaunch!

Dakar 2024 Loeb on the relaunch

The Dakar 2024 will take place this year in Saudi Arabia between January 5 and January 19. Find all the information and rankings for the 46th edition of the rally run for the first time in 1978.

[Mis à jour le 9 janvier à 12h18] Sébastien Loeb opened his account on the Dakar 2024. The day after a difficult day, which saw him lose 23 minutes in the general classification due to multiple punctures, the Frenchman had a good recovery this Tuesday during the fourth stage which led the competitors from Al Salamiya to Al-Hofuf. The Alsatian was the fastest over a course of 631 kilometers including 299 of special, ahead by a few seconds, at the wheel of his Prodrive buggy, Yazeed Al Rajhi (2nd at 1’08”), at the helm of the rally since the day before. This success – the 24th of his career on the Dakar – allows Sébastien Loeb to move up in the general standings, moving from ninth to sixth place, with a delay of 23 minutes over the Saudi.

Yazeed Al Rajhi did well since he took back almost 4 minutes from his runner-up, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who finished fourth at the finish, almost 5 minutes behind Sébastien Loeb. The other good deal of the day is to the credit of Nasser Al-Attiyah, the outgoing winner, third in the stage and now third in the general classification. The Qatari, who switched from Toyota to Prodrive a few weeks before the start of this Dakar, is 12 minutes behind the leader and is more than ever in the race to retain his crown. Finally, note that Stéphane Peterhansel, already winner in this 46th edition, took fifth place in the stage (at 5’59”) and remains in ambush (8th) just over 26 minutes from the lead despite.

On two wheels, Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo was most inspired on the rocky roads leading to Al-Hofuf. The Chilean, already winner on Sunday, did it again this Tuesday to win his second stage since the start. Riding his Honda, the young South American (29 years old) beat all the other contenders for the final victory, starting with the American Ricky Brabec (2nd at 2’59”), the Argentinian Kévin Benavides (3rd at 3’18”) and the Botswanan Ross Branch (4th at 4’26”).

The latter, who crossed the finish line with his handlebars damaged, also lost the lead in the general classification for a little over a minute at the expense of the winner of the day, Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo who asserts himself a little more every day as one of the strong men of this Dakar 2024. On the French side, Adrien Van Beveren remains in contact, fifth in the stage (at 5’25”), he remains in ambush in the general, stuck in fifth place, 22 minutes behind the new leader. On Wednesday, the competitors will head towards Shubaytah, for the shortest special stage of the rally (118km).

Cars: the general classification at the end of the 4th stage

1. Al Rajhi/Gottschalk (Toyota) in 15h44’39”
2. Sainz/Cruz (Audi) at 4’19”
3. Al Attiyah/Baumel (Prodrive Hunter) at 11’03”
4. Ekström/Bergkvist (Audi) at 17’42”
5. Moraes/Monleon (Toyota) at 19’03”
6. Loeb/Lurquin (Prodrive Hunter) at 23’50”
7. Serradori/Minaudier (Century) at 24’20”
8. Peterhansel/Boulanger (Audi) at 26’56”

9. Zala/Fiuza (Mini) at 32’42”
10. From Mevius/Panseri (Toyota) at 38’43”

Motorcycles: the general classification at the end of the 4th stage

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (CHI/Honda) in 17h27’13”
2. 1. Ross Branch (BWA/Hero) at 1’15”
3. Ricky Brabec (USA/Honda) at 4’56”
4. Kévin Benavides (ARG/KTM) at 20’39”
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA/Honda) at 22’30”
6. Luciano Benavides (ARG/Husqvarna) at 31’11”
7. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI/Honda) at 31’44”
8. Toby Price (AUS/KTM) at 34’54”
9. Martin Michek (RTC/KTM) at 38’11”
10. Romain Dumontier (FRA/Husqvarna) at 38’44”

The 2024 Dakar route

  • Friday January 5-Prologue: Al-Ula – Al-Ula → 128 km including 28km of special (Winners: Ekström/Schareina)
  • Saturday January 6-Stage 1: Alula – Al Henakiyah → 541km including 414km of special (Winners: De Mevius/Branch)
  • Sunday January 7-Stage 2: Al Henakiyah – Al Duwadimi → 655km including 463km of special (Winners: Peterhansel/Cornejo Florimo)
  • Monday January 8-Stage 3: Al Duwadimi – Al Salamiya → 733km including 438km of special (Winners: Moraes/K. Benavides)
  • Tuesday January 9-Stage 4: Al Salamiya – Al-Hofuf → 631km including 299km of special (Winners: Loeb/Cornejo Florimo)
  • Wednesday January 10-Stage 5: Al-Hofuf – Shubaytah → 645km including 118km of special
  • Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January-Stage 6: Shubaytah – Shubaytah → 781km including 572km of special
  • Saturday January 13: Rest
  • Sunday January 14-Stage 7: Riyadh – Al Duwadimi → 873km including 483km of special
  • Monday January 15-Stage 8: Al Duwadimi – Hail → 678km including 458km of special
  • Tuesday January 16-Stage 9: Hail – Al Ula → 639km including 417km of special
  • Wednesday January 17-Stage 10: Al Ula – Al Ula → 612km including 371km of special
  • Thursday January 18-Stage 11: Al Ula – Yanbu → 587km including 480km of special
  • Friday January 19-Stage 12: Yanbu-Yanbu → 328km including 175km special

The main entrants in the car category

– Al Attiyah/Baumel (Prodrive Hunter) – n°200
– Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) – n°201
– Peterhansel/Boulanger (Audi RS Q e-tron E2) – n°202
– Loeb/Lurquin (Prodrive Hunter) – n°203
– Sainz/Cruz (Audi RS Q e-tron E2) – n°204
– Yacopini/Oliveiras (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) – n°205
– Moraes/Monleon (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) – n°206
– Ekström/Bergkvist (Audi RS Q e-tron E2) – n°207
– De Villiers/Murphy (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) – n°209
– Roma/Bravo (Ford Ranger) – n°210
– Chicherit/Winocq (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) – n°211
– Quintero/Zenz (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) – n°216
– De Mévius/Panseri (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) – n°221
– Baumgart/Cincea (Prodrive Hunter) – n°247

The main entrants in the motorcycle category

– Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) – n°1
– Toby Price (KTM) – n°2
– Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) – n°4
– Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) – n°5
– Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) – n°7
– Ricky Brabec (Honda) – n°9
– Skyler Howes (Honda) – n°10
– Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Honda) – n°11
– Romain Dumontier (Husqvarna) – n°16
– Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) – n°42
– Ross Branch (Hero) – n°46
– Kevin Benavides (KTM) – n°47
– Tosha Schareina (Honda) – n°73
– Joan Barredo (Hero) – n°88

On which channel to follow the Dakar 2024?

There are changes in 2024. A privileged partner of the rally from the start, France Télévisions will no longer be the main broadcaster of the race this year. Only the Journal du Dakar will be offered each evening to viewers of the public service channel around 8:50 p.m. This 46th edition marks the arrival of the Dakar on the L’Equipe Channel. Broadcast unencrypted on TNT, on channel 21, the channel of the major sports daily will cover the race in detail.

The big live show will allow you to see the arrival of the main competitors every day between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. with several journalists and consultants on site to collect the participants’ first reactions. It will also be possible to watch the channel’s Dakar Journal from 6:20 p.m. while the summary of each stage will be broadcast at 8 p.m. For those who were unable to watch, the best moments from each stage will be rebroadcast every day from 11 a.m. Note that the Eurosport group, via its channels 1 and 2, will still follow the race, with a summary of around fifty minutes each day at 8 p.m., 11:30 p.m. or the next morning at 8 a.m.

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