Dakar 2024 – Stage 10: Guerlain Chicherit wins, the gap narrows between Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb
The battle is still raging between the two protagonists for overall victory, with Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit claiming his first Dakar 2024 victory.
The tension is rising on the Dakar! Two days away from the finish in Yanbu, nerves are being put to the test among the contenders for victory, especially when the gaps narrow and the machines start to suffer. In this 10th stage, which was a loop of 612 kilometers (371 of which were special stages) around Alula, both Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb encountered problems with their machines.
First, it was Carlos Sainz who, thanks to his bodyguards Mattias Ekström and Stéphane Peterhansel, was able to limit the damage against his French rival. With three punctures, El Matador needed an additional spare wheel from his Swedish teammate to finish the stage. Quite tense at the finish line, Carlos Sainz also complained to Romain Dumas and his co-pilot Max Delfino for not letting him pass despite multiple calls with the sentinel. Audi reserved the right to file a complaint with the organization.
For Sébastien Loeb, it’s a problem related to a hydraulic jack that handicapped him in this stage. After a puncture, the Alsatian and his co-driver Fabian Lurquin had to show ingenuity to lift their Hunter while the famous jack was not working. In addition, the gun used to change the nuts was also defective. Despite all these mishaps, the Franco-Belgian duo managed to take back seven minutes from the overall leader, but could have taken even more.
As for the special of the day, it was Guerlain Chicherit (Overdrive Racing) who set the fastest time ahead of Brian Baragwanath (Century Racing Factory Team) and Benediktas Vanagas (Toyota Gazoo Racing). A surprising trio that shows the favorites are being cautious and playing it safe as they approach the final arrival.
The organizers wanted to make this Dakar rally spectacular and unpredictable until the very end. The stage scheduled for tomorrow is greatly feared by all competitors. Sand, rocks, navigation challenges – everything will be combined once again to give us surprises and witness a new episode of the battle between Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb.
Ranking Stage 10
| Concurrents | Team | Times / Gaps | |
| 1 | Chicherit / Winocq | Overdrive Racing | 03:19:27 |
| 2 | Baragwanath / Cremer | Century Racing Factory Team | +00:05:43 |
| 3 | Vanagas / Sikk | Toyota Gazoo Racing | +00:06:04 |
| 4 | Amos / Ceci | Overdrive Racing | +00:06:09 |
| 5 | Dumas / Delfino | Rebellion Racing | +00:07:12 |
General ranking or Overall ranking
| Concurrents | Team | Times / Gaps | |
| 1 | Sainz / Cruz | Team Audi Sport | 41:35:12 |
| 2 | Loeb / Lurquin | Bahrain Raid Xtreme | +00:13:22 |
| 3 | Moraes / Monleon | Toyota Gazoo Racing | +01:02:44 |
| 4 | De Mevius / Panseri | Overdrive Racing | +01:27:09 |
| 5 | Chicherit / Winocq | Overdrive Racing | +01:47:55 |
