Stage Seven of the Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally resumed today after a rest day and saw two Spaniards pick up stage victories.

Carlos Sainz won his second stage of the 2014 Dakar Rally and he did so by four minutes and forty-five seconds over Nasser Al-Attiyah. Stéphane Peterhansel rounded out the podium, seven minutes and twenty-six seconds back. Nani Roma finished eight minutes and fifty-seconds back of Sainz in fourth but remains in the overall lead of the car class.

Roma leads Peterhansel in the overall standings by thirty-one minutes and fifty-three seconds. Giniel de Villiers is third, forty-eight minutes and twenty-three seconds back with Orlando Terranova fifty-four minutes and thirty-four seconds back in fourth. Al-Attiyah and Sainz are fifth and sixth, both over an hour back of Roma.

The day did not go well for Robby Gordon. He was stopped on course and finished fifty-sixth on the day, nearly two hours back of Sainz. He finds himself twenty-seventh, nearly seven and three-quarter hours back of Roma. American BJ Baldwin finished twenty-eighth on stage seven, fifty minutes and fifty-two seconds back of Sainz. Baldwin trails Roma in the overall standings by eleven hours fifty-eight minutes and thirteen seconds in thirty-first place.

Joan Barreda Bort won his third stage of the 2014 Dakar Rally today by four minutes and three seconds over the leader of the bike class Marc Coma. Cyril Despres finished third five minutes and thirty-five seconds back. Coma leads Barreda Bort by thirty-eight minutes and fourteen seconds in the overall standings with the next closest rider, Jordi Viladoms, an hour sixteen minutes and and three seconds back. Despres is nearly two and a half hours back of Coma in tenth position.

American Mike Johnson finished stage seventh in fifty-ninth place, fifty-one minutes and fifteen seconds off Barreda Bort. Johnson is eighty-first in class, thirty hours back of Coma.

Ignacio Casale won his second stage of this Dakar Rally and first since the opening stage. By winning today, the Chilean was able to retake the overall lead in the quad class. Casale defeated Dutchman Sebastian Husseini by seven minutes and forty seconds with previous class leader Sergio Lafuente finishing eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds back in third. Rafał Sonik finished fourth, nine minutes and fifty-seven seconds back.

Casale leads Lafuente by six minutes and fifteen seconds with Sonik twenty-nine minutes and fifty-two seconds back in third. Husseini is fourth, nearly three and a half hours back.

Eduard Nikolaev won his first stage of the 2014 Dakar Rally by three minutes and forty-five seconds over fellow Kamaz driver Dmitry Sotnikov. Gérard de Rooy retains the truck class lead by finishing third, four minutes and thirty-four seconds back. De Rooy leads by thirty-seven minutes and fifty seconds over Andrey Karginov who finished seven on stage seven. Nikolaev is over an hour back in third position.