Dakar Stages 7 & 8: Lead Changes, Injuries and Withdrawals as Rally Resumes

Dakar Stages 7 & 8: Lead Changes, Injuries and Withdrawals as Rally Resumes

After a much-needed rest day, competition in the 2022 Dakar Rally resumed Sunday with Stage 7. It was a weekend bittersweet for the GasGas factory team. Sam Sunderland claimed a stage win while his teammate Daniel Sanders sustained a fractured elbow and wrist in a crash. Sanders has been forced to withdraw from the Rally. Sunderland currently has the overall bike lead.

In the car class, Sebastien Loeb beat Nassar Al-Attiyah to win Stage 7. Loeb has slowly been chipping away at Al-Attiyah’s commanding lead. Loeb still has a way to go if he is to win the overall rally event. In Stage 8, Mattias Ekström took the win with Stephane Peterhansel finishing second in his Electric Audi RS-Q Etron.

Seth Quintero continues to rack up more stage wins for the Red Bull Junior Team. Francisco Lopez Contardo leads the overall in the light prototype class. Austin Jones has taken the overall lead in the SSV class for Can-Am Factory South Racing.

Images courtesy of GasGas, Red Bull and A.S.O

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