Sainz marches to Dakar triumph

Spanish dual world champion holds off teammate to win crown

BUENOS AIRES: Carlos Sainz added the 2010 Dakar title to his two world rally championships on Saturday, thwarting Volkswagen teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah's desperate, late bid to snatch victory.

The 47-year-old Spaniard, world rally champion in 1990 and 1992, had led the Dakar since the fifth stage and clinched two stages on the 32nd running of the grueling event.

He finished 2min, 12sec ahead of Al-Attiyah with whom he angrily clashed on Friday's penultimate stage when he accused the Qatari of unsporting behavior when he passed, kicking up a blinding, South American dust storm in the process.

Al-Attiyah had the meager consolation of taking the race's 14th and final stage, a 335km special from Santa Rosa to the Argentine capital.

"It's a very important day for me. I won in Europe, in Spain and today in the Dakar. I am really happy and relieved," said Sainz.

"We drove very fast but we were clever too. It was a tough and daily fight against my teammate. I knew it would be like that.

"Today I could not afford any mistakes. Straight ahead, crossing, straight ahead, crossing. We had to master everything and control our emotions."

Fellow Volkswagen driver Mark Miller, of the US, ended the two-week race, which crossed both Argentina and Chile, 32min, 51sec behind Sainz to claim third.

It was Volkswagen's third win in the event following triumphs in 1980 and last year.

France's Stephane Peterhansel, a three-time champion and six-time winner in the motorcycle section, was fourth in his BMW, 2hr, 17min, 21sec behind Sainz, while BMW teammate Guerlain Chicherit was fifth.

Al-Attiyah had started the day 2min, 48sec behind Sainz, but the gap always looked insurmountable.

"Second place is a good result for me. I never got this high in the standings," said the 39-year-old Qatari.

"I really went for it but we knew the stage would be a long straight line."

Al-Attiyah insisted there were no hard feelings between and Sainz - who the Qatari idolized when he was starting out in the sport - despite their angry fallout on Friday.

"Congratulations to Carlos Sainz. What matters is that a Volkswagen won. I am happy for Carlos. He did his job. I tried to do mine. Next year, I'll win. But now I'll go shake hands with Carlos; he's part of the team."

France's Cyril Despres won his third Dakar motorcycling title while Portuguese rider Ruben Faria claimed the final stage honors.

Despres, who will turn 36 on Jan 24, finished more than five minutes behind his KTM teammate.

Norwegian Pal Ullevalseter finished second overall, more than an hour behind Despres, after finishing second on his KTM in the stage, 3min, 45sec behind Faria.

Chilean Francisco 'Chaleco' Lopez riding an Aprilia was third overall, less than five minutes behind the runner-up.

"All victories are nice but this one is particularly beautiful," said Despres.

"It is a victory for hard work, of expertise and of an incredible team. Of course, there is a lot of emotion. We have had three tough years, three years of injuries, training, hard times."

Despres was also the champion in 2005 and 2007 when the race was still staged in Africa.

Lu the best Chinese

Six-time Dakar Rally veteran Lu Ningjun finished best of the Chinese drivers at the Dakar Rally in 28th overall in 78hr, 16min and 47sec; 31 hours behind Sainz.

In Saturday's final stage, Lu, driving a China-made Chery Rely X5, finished 28th in 1:46:21.

Lu's teammate, Jiang Yaohuan, also at the wheel of a Chery Rely X5, was the best of the Chinese in the final stage finishing 24th in 1:45:52. Overall, Jiang finished 29th.

"I am feeling great as this is my first trip to the Dakar Rally," Jiang said. "I not only completed the race but also finished in the top 30.

"If I get a second chance, I would love to take part in the Dakar Rally again but I would like to have a Chinese navigator," he said.

Zhou Yong, who recorded China's best-ever finish in the Dakar Rally by coming home 19th overall in 2005, completed the world's most grueling rally 33rd after finishing the final stage in 27th place.

The other Chinese driver, Zhu Jinzhong, finished 45th overall among the 57 cars which arrived in Buenos Aires.

In the motorcycling section, China's Su Wenmin and Wei Guanghui finished 75th and 82nd respectively after completing Saturday's stage 76th and 80th.

AFP/China Daily

(China Daily 01/18/2010 page23)