Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders is on the verge of racing into Australian motorsports history as just the second man from his country to win a coveted Dakar Rally title.
With just one short, sharp stage left after a draining two-week Saudi Arabian slog in the world’s toughest motor race, the Yarra Valley motorcyclist needs just to protect a substantial nine-minute lead over the final 131km loop around Subaytah, including 61km against the clock, to follow his pal Toby Price into the record books.
Realistically, only a mechanical calamity or accident can now topple the 30-year-old’s magisterial progress, having led ever since he dominated the prologue as he seeks to emulate Price’s 2016 and 2019 motorcycle triumphs.
The remaining riders will be battling in what is usually a mass-start ‘ceremonial ride’ to the finish, just as in the Tour de France, but Sanders, who’s had his share of injury calamities down the years in the Dakar, will take nothing for granted until he finally reaches the finish of the near-8000km marathon on Friday.
He must have been left relieved in Thursday’s 11th stage that the race distance was shortened by organisers by almost half to 152km because of an early delay for fog, giving Sanders’ pursuers less time to make serious inroads into his overnight 16min 31sec lead.
His nearest rival, Spain’s Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda), went flat out once the riders finally started three hours late, going on to win the stage and claw back 7:31 on Sanders, who was taking no risks on his Red Bull KTM.
The victory left the Spaniard still leading by 6:50 over his teammate, third-placed Adrien Van Beveren, with a podium place looking assured for the pair.
In the cars’ race, Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi opened up a commanding overall lead of 6:11 over second-placed Henk Lategan after the South African, who had led by over two minutes before Thursday, finished fifth.
“I tried… that was about what we could manage today. I’ve never been a sand or dune expert but I’m happy to come through the stage,” Lategan said.
“Overall, I’m happy with how it went and how it’s going. We still have one more day to go until we get to the finish. It’s been a really good race.”
Overdrive’s Al-Rajhi, who finished third on the day, could scent his maiden Dakar triumph, saying: “I know I can do it. I trusted myself, I attacked and enjoyed.”
Five-times Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah finished second on the stage.
