Dakar | Loeb sensational: he sets off again to defend the podium

It all seemed over, but the last word hasn't been said. Sébastien Loeb sensationally restarted after breaking the suspension suffered this morning during the 11th stage, the penultimate of the 2024 Dakar, with the specific intent of at least defending the podium.

Although those in charge of the race communications had given Loeb as having withdrawn and even dropped out of the special, the Alsatian managed to repair the damage to the front right A-arm of his Hunter Prodrive managed by the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team and set off again.

All this thanks to the providential intervention of the YunXiang team, who races with a Prodrive Hunter. The crew of Feilong Liu and Yicheng Wang, Loeb's team mates, provided him with the necessary parts to replace the damaged component and resume the stage.

Having stopped at kilometer 132 of the stage just as he was fighting with his rival Carlos Sainz, Loeb still lost a lot of time to the Iberian of Audi Sport. His chances of success have almost disappeared completely, but the podium is still within his reach.

In the general classification, Carlos Sainz is heading towards the fourth Dakar victory of his great career, while in second place – although well over an hour behind the Audi Sport driver – is the Brazilian Lucas Moraes of Toyota Gazoo Racing.

If Moraes were to confirm the position, it would be his second overall podium in just 2 participations in the most famous rally raid in the world. Sébastien Loeb, on the other hand, finds himself in full battle with Giullaume De Mevius. The Belgian driver of the Overdrive Racing team and the French driver of BRX are separated by a few minutes after the inconvenience suffered by the 9-time WRC champion.