Five-times winner Nasser Al-Attiyah hit trouble in the Dakar Rally on Wednesday, the latest frontrunner to struggle in the Saudi Arabian sands after the departures of Sebastien Loeb and defending champion Carlos Sainz.

Carlos Sainz's defence of his Dakar Rally title ended prematurely on Monday when the Spaniard was forced to pull out after the marathon 48-hour stage won by Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuska.

Overdrive Toyota’s Yazeed Al Rajhi, who lost out big time on the 48-hour chrono stage in last year’s Dakar Rally, thought he had achieved the best accumulated time over the two days

Local favourite Yazeed Al-Rajhi won the 48-hour second stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Monday, despite a penalty for speeding, as South African Henk Lategan took the overall lead for the factory Toyota team.

Carlos Sainz lost 40 minutes after his Ford Raptor flipped, while Sebastien Loeb’s hopes cooled with a fan issue on his Ford. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Bisha: Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi led at the midway point of the marathon 48-hour second stage of the Dakar Rally yesterday as two big names suffered a wretched day in the dunes. Carlos Sainz lost 40 minutes after his Ford Raptor flipped while Sebastien Loeb's hopes of winning his first title cooled with a fan issue on his Ford.

Carlos Sainz's Dakar Rally ended on Monday after the defending champion's damaged Ford Raptor was ruled out after just two stages of the gruelling two-week race in the Saudi Arabian desert.

Toyota was the manufacturer to beat in Dakar on Tuesday as Variawa scored the stage win and Lategan led overall