Dakar 2022: let's go to Saudi Arabia, Daniel Sanders wins the motorcycle prologue

Let's go for the Dakar 2022!

Australian Daniel Sanders (KTM) set the fastest time in the qualifying prologue for the Dakar 2022, on a motorcycle, over the 19 kilometers of the special disputed on Saturday between Jeddah and Ha'il.

Fourth in the final standings for his first Dakar in 2021, the 27-year-old KTM rider struck from the start, one minute ahead of Chilean Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) and 1.55 minutes over Ross Branch (Yamaha).

The defending champion, the Argentinian Kevin Benavides (KTM), finished fourth in this prologue intended to determine the starting order for Sunday.

The first Frenchman, Adrien Van Beveren, took sixth place.

To read also Sébastien Loeb at the start of the Dakar 2022: "I changed a lot of things to succeed this time"

The Dakar 2022 rally starts on Saturday for more than 8,000 km in two weeks in the sands of Saudi Arabia.

🏍 Best rookie last year, Daniel Sanders wins stage 1A today.

👏 # Dakar2022 pic.twitter.com/zGLpsGL0zk

- DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 1, 2022

Al-Attiyah wins in first stage of auto qualifying

Nasser al-Attiyah (Toyota) won in the first qualifying stage for the Dakar 2022, Saturday between Jeddah and Ha'il, with a time of 10 minutes 56 seconds.

On the 19-kilometer special, the Qatari driver beat the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, two-time world rally champion and three-time Dakar winner (12 seconds) and the South African Henk Lategan (+36 ″, Toyota).

Frenchman Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive) finished fifth (+37 ″) while defending champion Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi) finished in a disappointing 14th place (+ 1′12 ″).