DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia — Nasser Al-Attiyah received a second straight Dakar Rally simply kilometers from his Qatar homeland on Sunday.

His fifth Dakar title eclipsed Ari Vatanen’s complete and was second solely to Stephane Peterhansel, the Dakar’s biggest champion with 14 wins, eight within the premier automobile class.

Al-Attiyah led the Dakar for the final 13 of its 15 days in Saudi Arabia, from the Purple Sea to the Arabian Gulf.

Sebastien Loeb, the nine-time world rally champion chasing his first Dakar success, was second in successive years, greater than 80 minutes behind.

Lucas Moraes of Brazil was third, the primary rookie on the rostrum in 35 years. He was 98 minutes again however practically an hour forward of fourth place.

No person else may keep away from hassle like Al-Attiyah and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel of their Toyota. In 9 Dakars collectively, they’ve received 4, been runner-up 4 occasions, and deserted as soon as.

“To beat them, you need to have an ideal race,” Loeb stated.

Peterhansel, Yazeed Al Rajhi and Carlos Sainz, the one drivers inside 55 minutes of Al-Attiyah, crashed inside kilometers of one another. Peterhansel’s co-pilot Edouard Boulanger was taken to hospital with a again damage. Al Rajhi and Sainz have been caught for hours.

Sainz held on till a second crash on stage 9, which was overshadowed by a spectator dying from accidents after being hit by a truck competitor. It was the fifth loss of life on the Dakar since its transfer to Saudi Arabia in 2020.

Native driver Al Rajhi, third final yr, completed thirty seventh and 37 hours behind Al-Attiyah. Al-Attiyah’s lead ballooned to greater than an hour and he now not needed to push laborious.

“We did not must assault like loopy,” he stated. “We managed to get via the second week and win, that is what actually issues. I am very joyful to win 5 occasions, and Mathieu 4 … sorry Mathieu!”

Loeb was left to win six consecutive levels, a report for an elite automobile driver, and 7 in all, essentially the most since Sainz in 2011. Loeb was runner-up for a second straight yr and third time.

Argentine rider Kevin Benavides received his second motorcycle title by beating KTM teammate Toby Worth by 43 seconds after greater than 4,000 kilometers in one of many closest finishes within the rally’s historical past.

They have been the final riders to start out the 136-kilometer 14th stage on the coast east of Al-Hofuf.

“This morning, my head was empty aside from every kilometer of the stage, from 0 to 136,” Benvavides stated. “It is unbelievable to tug off the win on the finish of this utterly loopy Dakar, and with such a small hole. I am additionally the primary to win with two totally different motorcycle manufacturers, and that makes me very proud.”

Benavides, trailing Worth by 12 seconds general, wiped that out by the primary checkpoint. By midway, he was practically two minutes forward of the Australian two-time champion. Worth got here again however Benavides received the stage by 55 seconds.

He received in 2021 and was up entrance final yr till his engine blew on stage 10. Like Al-Attiyah, Benavides was within the high three from stage three, however made his greatest push on Saturday after stopping to assist stricken teammate Matthias Walkner, the 2018 champion.

The Related Press contributed to this report.