This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
On January 10, 2020, the Dakar rally saw a thrilling sixth stage, with Stephane Peterhansel emerging victorious in his Mini. However, his teammate Carlos Sainz retained the overall lead.
Meanwhile, American motorbike rider Ricky Brabec secured his second stage win, finishing 1min 34sec ahead of Honda's Joan Barreda. Austrian KTM rider Matthias Walkner took third place, 2min 45sec behind.
Former Formula One champion Fernando Alonso finished sixth in his Toyota, 7min 56sec behind Peterhansel. Alonso is currently 16th in the overall standings, more than three hours off the pace.
As for the stage, it started with fast, flat sands but later featured dunes. Peterhansel described it as 'a very fast stage' with 'some parts really quick on the sand and there are also dunes.'
However, the stage was not without its challenges. Saudi entrant Yazeed Al Rajhi faced mechanical difficulties, including a leak of oil, but managed to finish fourth in his Toyota.
Al Rajhi expressed his gratitude to his fans, saying, 'I am happy. I'm from Riyadh. I have a lot of fans here and I enjoyed it a lot so thanks to them for coming.'
