(The Post News)– South African drivers faced a challenging day in the Dakar Rally, with Henk Lategan experiencing multiple setbacks and Guy Botterill crashing out of the competition. Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi capitalized on the situation, moving into the overall lead after Stage 9 on Tuesday.
Al-Rajhi, representing the Toyota Overdrive Racing team, finished third in the 357 km stage from Riyadh to Haradh. He was just over three minutes behind Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah, who secured the stage win. Meanwhile, Lategan, who had led the race since Stage 2, finished in 11th place after encountering two punctures that hampered his progress.
Lategan’s earlier advantage, which had grown to over five minutes on Monday, was erased, placing him more than seven minutes behind Al-Rajhi with three stages left. The day was marked by navigational errors and multiple challenges, making it a difficult and disappointing stage for the South African driver, though he remains in the race. Adding to the South African team’s troubles, Guy Botterill, who had been a strong contender after finishing second on Monday, was forced to withdraw after a crash 272 km into Tuesday’s stage.
In the motorcycle category, Luciano Benavides from Argentina claimed his second consecutive stage victory, followed by Adrien van Beveren. Overall leader Daniel Sanders increased his lead, finishing third, and now holds a gap of nearly 15 minutes over Spain’s Tosha Schareina. Stage 10 will see the rally continue from Haradh to Shubaytah, with competitors preparing for another intense day of racing.
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