VIDEO. Dakar 2024: Loeb and the favorites puncture, the winner of the prologue abandons… what to remember from the first stage

Sébastien Loeb et son copilote Fabian Lurquin ont bataillé samedi. A.S.O./A.Vincent/DPPI

The Belgian Guillaume de Mevius (Toyota) won the first stage of the Dakar-2024 on Saturday January 6, his first in the premier category, in the volcanic rocks between Al-Ula and Al-Henakiyah (Saudi Arabia), while the favorites all suffered from punctures and the winner of the motorcycle prologue retired after a fall.

De Mevius arrived just before the Audi of Spaniard Carlos Sainz (+1'44''), according to the results provisional. The three-time winner of the Dakar (2010, 2018, 2020) started far behind the other favorites after an average time during the prologue on Friday.

The stage was more complicated for the Prodrive cars. Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver Fabian Lurquin (20th, +22'47'') punctured twice on the 414 km special, the course of which was dotted with canyons and volcanic rocks, very abrasive to tires.

The double title holder Nasser Al-Attiyah and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel (22nd, 2 minutes behind Loeb) had the same problem, two punctures at the start of the race, which forced them to drive slowly until the end . The Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi) failed to get rid of the Saudi rocks – puncture for him too – and is in 24th place (+32'15).

Botswana Branch leads the motorbikes

Among the motorcycles, the Botswanan Ross Branch (Hero) took the lead in the general classification by winning a first stage marked by the premature abandonment of the winner of the day before during the prologue, Tosha& nbsp;Schareina.

The latter, aged 28, and 13th in the last edition of the Dakar, "was evacuated from the special by the medical teams", indicated the organizer Amaury Sport Organization (ASO). He suffered a broken forearm, according to the organization, after a fall at km 240.

Des premières chutes dans la catégorie moto sur la première étape du Dakar

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— la chaine L'Équipe (@lachainelequipe) January 6, 2024

Ross Branch, who at that time had the best time in the special, stopped near him. His stoppage time (25'30'') was reinstated at the finish of the stage. He is ahead of the Americans Ricky Brabrec (Honda, +10'54'') and Mason Klein (Kove, +11'19'').

The Benavides brothers 8th and 15th

The first Frenchman, Romain Dumontier, finished sixth at 14'06'', at the end of a 414 km special stage whose route was marked canyons and volcanic rocks, very abrasive for tires. 

Argentinian Kevin Benavides (KTM), defending champion, finished 8th at 15'37'' and his brother Luciano (Husqvarna), world champion, finished 15th at 23'09''.

There will be another long special (470 km) on the program on Sunday for the 2nd stage, with a good portion of dunes, to arrive at Al-Duwadimi, in the center of the Kingdom of ;Saudi Arabia.