2009 Dakar : X-RAID'S Al Attiyah Regains Overall Dakar Rally Lead After Day Five

302 - Nasser AL ATTIYAH/Tina THORNER - BMW X3 CC

Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Tina Thörner, representing X-raid's Sails Capital Racing Team, set the fourth fastest time on the most difficult special stage of the 2009 Dakar Rally so far and regained the overall lead on Wednesday.


January 7, 2009

Stage 5
NEUQUEN (Argentina) to SAN RAFAEL (Argentina)
Road section: 173km - SS5: 506km - Road section: 84km
Total Distance: 763km

The Depping-Peterhansel duo was making a first gap of 1’50" and 2’07" on the cars of Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mark Miller and Carlos Sainz. Then came a change in the configuration of the race between both check points as the Madrid and Qatari leaders in the general standings picked up their personal fight where they had left it leaving their adversaries far behind. The gap developed really quickly between them and Miller, De Villiers and the three Mitsubishis together. But the situation changed yet again and it is German driver Dieter Depping who ended up surprising everyone by being first to cross CP2 with a 24" lead over the title holder, whilst Al-Attiyah was timed with a 2’33" lead on Sainz.

The last events of the day were offered by the first sand dunes on this edition of the Dakar. 20 kilometers of sand where the leaders in the car category both broke their machines. De Villiers came out first of this boxing match and won the stage in front of Depping and Gordon, while Al-Attiyah was taking the lead in the general standings in front of De Villiers and relegated Carlos Sainz in third position, 6’33" behind.

Stage 5 : Classification

Pos	DriverCo-Driver	Nat	Vehicle	Cat	TotalTime	DiffLeader
1	Giniel DE VILLIERS Dirk VON ZITZEWITZ	AFS /D	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	5:47:43	**:**
2	Dieter DEPPING Timo GOTTSCHALK	D /D	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	5:50:01	+2:18
3	Robby GORDON Andy GRIDER	USA/USA	HUMMER H3	OP1	5:51:55	+4:12
4	Nasser AL ATTIYAH Tina THORNER	QAT/S	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	5:53:06	+5:23
5	Stephane PETERHANSELJean-Paul COTTRET	F / F	MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER	T1.2	5:54:55	+7:12
6	Mark MILLERRalph PITCHFORD	USA/ AFS	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	5:56:42	+8:59
7	Luc ALPHANDGilles PICARD	F F	MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER	T1.2	5:57:45	+10:02
8	Joan ROMALucas CRUZ	E E	MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER	T1.2	6:01:21	+13:38
9	Carlos SAINZMichel PERIN	E F	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	6:03:25	+15:42
10	Guerlain CHICHERITMatthieu BAUMEL	F F	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	6:26:10	+38:27
11	Guilherme SPINELLIMarcelo VIVOLO	BRABRA	MITSUBISHI PAJERO	T1.1	6:27:58	+40:15
12	Ivar Erik TOLLEFSENQuin EVANS	NGB	NISSAN NAVARA	T1.1	6:30:23	+42:40
13	Rene KUIPERSFilipe PALMEIRO	NL P	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	7:18:51	+1:31:08
14	Orlando TERRANOVAAlain GUEHENNEC	RA F	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	7:19:39	+1:31:56
15	Krzysztof HOLOWCZYCJean-Marc FORTIN	POLB	NISSAN NAVARA	T1.1	7:30:00	+1:42:17
16	Laszlo PALIKGabor DARAZSI	HONHON	NISSAN NAVARA	T1.1	7:49:08	+2:01:25
17	Leonid NOVITSKIYOleg TYUPENKIN	RUSRUS	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	7:53:57	+2:06:14
18	Bruce GARLANDHiroaki SUZUKI	AUSAUS	ISUZU D-MAX	T1.2	8:25:17	+2:37:34
19	Tonnie VAN DEIJNE Wouter ROSEGAAR	NLNL	MITSUBISHI L200	T1.1	8:25:18	+2:37:35
20	Isabelle PATISSIERTheirry DELLI-ZOTTI	F F	BUGGY	T1.3	8:29:21	+2:41:38

Overall : Classification

Pos	DriverCo-Driver	Nat	Vehicle	Cat	TotalTime	DiffLeader
1	Nasser AL ATTIYAH Tina THORNER	QATS	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	18:44:37	**:**
2	Giniel DE VILLIERS Dirk VON ZITZEWITZ	AFSD	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	18:47:01	+2:24
3	Carlos SAINZMichel PERIN	E F	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	18:51:10	+6:33
4	Mark MILLERRalph PITCHFORD	USAAFS	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	19:04:32	+19:55
5	Joan ROMALucas CRUZ	E E	MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER	T1.2	19:09:06	+24:29
6	Stephane PETERHANSELJean-Paul COTTRET	F F	MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER	T1.2	19:13:21	+28:44
7	Robby GORDON Andy GRIDER	USAUSA	HUMMER H3	OP1	19:26:25	+41:48
8	Luc ALPHANDGilles PICARD	F F	MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER	T1.2	19:26:41	+42:04
9	Dieter DEPPING Timo GOTTSCHALK	D D	VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG	T1.2	20:01:17	+1:16:40
10	Guilherme SPINELLIMarcelo VIVOLO	BRABRA	MITSUBISHI PAJERO	T1.1	20:24:03	+1:39:26
11	Orlando TERRANOVAAlain GUEHENNEC	RA F	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	20:31:54	+1:47:17
12	Ivar Erik TOLLEFSENQuin EVANS	NGB	NISSAN NAVARA	T1.1	21:04:51	+2:20:14
13	Krzysztof HOLOWCZYCJean-Marc FORTIN	POLB	NISSAN NAVARA	T1.1	21:05:24	+2:20:47
14	Rene KUIPERSFilipe PALMEIRO	NL P	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	22:00:19	+3:15:42
15	Laszlo PALIKGabor DARAZSI	HONHON	NISSAN NAVARA	T1.1	22:23:39	+3:39:02
16	Tonnie VAN DEIJNE Wouter ROSEGAAR	NLNL	MITSUBISHI L200	T1.1	23:17:01	+4:32:24
17	Miroslav ZAPLETALTomas OUREDNICEK	CZCZ	MITSUBISHI L200	T1.1	23:45:48	+5:01:11
18	Patrick SIREY JOL Paul VIDAL	F F	BOWLER WILDCAT	T1.1	25:11:59	+6:27:22
19	Boris BUKATOVSergey DODONOV	RUSRUS	MITSUBISHI PAJERO	T1.1	25:27:38	+6:43:01
20	Leonid NOVITSKIYOleg TYUPENKIN	RUSRUS	BMW X3 CC	T1.2	25:59:34	+7:14:57

Hi-light Images - Stage 5 : NEUQUEN (Argentina) to SAN RAFAEL (Argentina)

[Source : 2009 DAKAR, Volkswagen Motorsport, Mitsubishi Ralliart, New Dimension X-RAID]