“Monsieur Dakar” definitely lives up to his nickname.
Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel, driving his Mini, won his 14th Dakar on Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, thirty years after his first success in the famous rally-raid.
At the end of the penultimate 490 kilometer stage between Al Ula and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, the pilot had a 15 minutes and 5 seconds mattress on Nasser Al-Attiyah, his runner-up.
His victory left no doubt, himself explaining Thursday to be aware of having "never been so close" to a new coronation.
This title is the 14th for the Frenchman, thirty years after his first coronation (on a motorcycle) in 1991. Stéphane Peterhansel has won the race six times in the motorcycle category with Yamaha and now eight times in the car, with Mitsubishi, Mini and Peugeot.