Summarize

Follow the final action here, as it happens


DAKAR 2017 FINAL STAGE 12 LIVE - Friday 13  January: Rio Curato - Buenos Aires
Bikes start 11h16 SA time; cars 13h28
Today's stage: 786km, Special: 64km. Altitude 25-100m
Come back here to follow the action as it unfolds today
PLEASE REFRESH PAGE REGULARLY FOR LATEST UPDATES

13h55 - general - So that's it then - Stephane Peterhansel beat Sebastien Loeb home to secure his second win on the trot, his seventh in cars and his thirteenth Dakar win in all. He led a Peugeot 1-2-3 with Cyril Despres in third, while Nani Roma ended fouth in his SA-built Toyota Hilux, with Giniel de Villiers fighting back from a dreadful first week to pinch fifth from Mini's Terranova. Zim driver Conrad Rautenbach was the best rookie this year in 9th in the third Toyota. Sam Sunderland meanwhile led home a KTM 1-2-3 to  secure that brand's 16th Dakar victory in a row from teammates Walkner and Farres Guell, but what could have been if Honda's Barreda and Goncalves had not suffered one-hour penalties last wee. They finished fifth and sixthe and well inside an hour behind winner Sunderland. All that remains is the cruise to the finish in Buenos Aires this afternoon - come back for our full report later too... 

13h50 - cars - Conrad Rautenbach and Rob Howie bring their Toyota home a fine fifth on the stage to wrap up ninth overall.  Which means that the Zimbabwe driver is the top rookie at Dakar this year - bravo!

13h40 - cars - Giniel brings the Toyota home third for the day, 30 seconds off the Peugeots to secure fifth overall. Nani Roma has meanwhile driven in to secure fourth for Toyota. Orlando Terranova drives in to wrap up sixth overall for Mini, ahead of Przygonski's similar car...

13h30 - cars - Stephane Peterhansel has stormed to his 13th Dakar win - his seventh in a car by withstanding incredible pressure from Peugeot teammate Sebastien Loeb to wi by 3 minutes 13 seconds. Peterhansel shadowed Loeb to end 18 seconds off the former 9-time world rally champion today, with Cyril Despres third for a Peugeot clean sweep.

13h20 - bikes - British rider Sam Sunderland has won the Dakar 2017 bike race - he rode in third sixth on today's final 64km run to clinch the overall win, 32 minutes clear of KTM teammate, Austrian Matthias Walkner, with Spaniard Gerard farres Guell third to make it a KTM 1-2-3 as the Austrian manufacturer made it an incredible 16 Dakar wins in a row. Guell needed to fend off Frenchman Adrien van Beveren's Yamaha to achieve the clean sweep and the Spaniard did just that by exactly matching his rival's tim on today's run. The Hondas of Spain's Juan Barreda and Portuguese Paulo Goncalves were fifth and sixth and were it not for the hour penalty all the Hondas picked up for illegal refuelling a week ago, would have won by 17 minutes with Goncalves second. A painful mistake indeed. Pierre Andreas Renet was seventh for Husqvarna with Argentine Franco Caimi bringing some relief for honda in 8th to be the first rookie home...

13h05 - bikes - the leaders are now through WP2  - Farres Guell 7 seconds clear of van Beveren with 20km to go. Barreda was third and Sunderland cruising home to the overall win in fifth

12h50 - bikes - Joey Evans has done it! The man paralysed in a race crash ten years ago has come back to finish the Dakar to realise an impossible dream.

12h45 - bikes - Leading bikes are through WP1 - Farres Guell leads van Beveren as they fight over third, ahead of Walkner; Crosbie 40th, Evans 88th...

12h30 - bikes - Joey Evans has started - his dream is coming true!

11h25 - bikes - the first bikes are in the stage. Joey Evans was not at the start on time - we'd imagine he is taking lateness following his 3am arrival from Friday's stage this morning...


DICE TO DAKAR FINISH LIVE HERE! 
So, Dakar is coming to an end. Controversial it certainly has been, but in the death, we have a few key battles to keep abreast of — least of all the overall car battle between Peugeot giants, Mr Dakar Stephane Peterhansel and Mr. Rally Sebastien Loeb as they head into action split by five minutes today. 

Then there’s Giniel de Villiers in fifth with Orlando Terranova breathing down his neck and in the bike, can Farres Guell prevent Yamaha’s van Beveren’s Yamaha from spoiling a KTM 1-2-3 as it steams toward an inevitable 16th straight win coutesy of Aussie Sam Sunderland. And what stings lie in the tail?

Join us here from about 13h00 as we cover the final action

Today’s stage sees the bikes start in reverse order at about 11h16 SA time, so Joey Evans will ride up front as he heads towards what is sure to be an emotional impossible dream. The cars however run in position order with Peterhansel setting off at 12h48. 

The 64-km long special has no obstacles or tricks, so competitors need just race the distance and then cruise the open section to savour the he spoils of finishing the Dakar in the heart of the bivouac in front of the Buenos Aires Argentinean Automobile Club this afternoon.

Come back here from 13h00 to follow the action as it happens.


WATCH FOR THE WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY!  CLICK HERE to read all about the seven finalists...   
ENDS

Issued on behalf of Dakar 2024 Daily News

What:
Where:
When:
Community:

For further information please contact michele@m-cmedia..co.za

Click on thumbnails to Download images